Our fate
by Meloheart
Summary: She was destined to fight with boy- who-lived, she fell in love with her best friend; but that was not in her fate. She believed in building her own destiny, Divination was all bollocks for Hermione Granger. What if she is destined to marry the man who was inbred in blood puritanical ideologies. Read on to find how it happens, due to her curiosity or the Malfoy family's resources ?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

21 March 2000

Unsavoury!

That is what could be said about their day . Their lives were faring much like the weather today. Completely bleak and cold air slithering inside their manor, the bleary sun almost failing to light the land.

It has been two years since the war diminished and they are still in the process of uplifting their status in the society. They were occupied with thoughts about their family and the power that their name once held.

Their son moved far away to Spain after he completed his N.E.W.T.S. and graduated from Hogwarts. For this Narcissa blamed herself and her husband-

 _Draco returned to the manor post the Hogwarts graduation ceremony. As his son was of age now, Lucius thought it would be best for his heir to take reign of the manor as well as other Malfoy properties or whatever remained of it after the Ministry had seized some of their assets and the first step for that would be to get his son engaged to one of those pureblood families who he could still convince_.

 _With that decided, he asked his wife to make a social call to the Greengrass Manor a week later. The Greengrasses were one of those pureblood families who decided to stay neutral during the war and still maintained a semblance of respect in the British Wizarding Society. They neither cared for Lucius Malfoy nor his wife or their dark beliefs; they agreed for their daughter to get betrothed to the Malfoy scion, only because of the enormous wealth that the other pureblood family owned._

 _Draco Malfoy got engaged to the younger Greengrass sister Astoria at the tender age of 19. Two days after which he was absent during breakfast and when he failed to turn up during lunch and dinner as well, they knew something was up. Their son's absence from the dinner table was not the most unusual event, he mostly preferred to take his meals in his room , starting from the Easter holidays when the dark lord was a permanent resident in their manor. Unless he was forced , he would never budge to his father's orders of having dinner with the family. But the last few months seemed to have calmed him a bit, though he spent most of his time in the library, their duelling chambers or in his chambers, yet he attended all three meals with them. Narcissa was happy with the progress her son was making, now it all seemed to be for nought. In truth, they had never asked him what he wanted, instead took all his decisions for him, with the sole purpose of glorifying, uplifting the family name. Narcissa Malfoy knew that they had hurt his feelings and somehow in that process they lost their son._

 _Both parents were devastated , the house-elves were all apparating and disapparating from every chamber of the manor and even in the outskirts of the manor, but no sign of the heir could be found ; except a letter which Lucius Malfoy later found in his study chamber. The letter said:_

 _Dearest Father,_

 _By the time you read this letter, I would be travelling far off in Eastern Europe. I apologise for escaping the way I did, but you know there was no way for me to personally lay that out to you. Had the war not happened, I would have gladly accepted my fate. Father I have always wanted to make you proud, but the manor kind of makes me cringe inwards. Through this letter I hope you allowed me a bit of freedom for few years until I can get off the eerie feeling. And yes, I will do right by Astoria you don't have to worry over our reputation. Please give my regards to mother and ask her not to worry too much._

 _Yours,_

 _Draco_

As promised their son frequently conveyed them letters about his travels and the potion making apprenticeship that he had started under Potions Master Diego de la Vega. How he travelled internationally was yet a secret to them as their son was still supposed to be under probation and she shuddered to imagine what the Ministry must have proposed of him to allow such privileges.

Both the parents spent most of their time worrying for their son. Lucius though hasn't voiced his complex emotions yet could be typically seen strolling leisurely through his son's private chamber staring thoughtfully at his childhood photographs, the younger Draco who smiled frequently but resisted from even smirking now-a-days.  
Narcissa worried more for her husband than her son, something seemed tacitly to be defeating him slowly, whether it was his moral conscience or his uncomfortable feelings for their son, she would never know. He was not open about his feelings and easily dodged any questions thrown in his way, about his feelings for his son.

She was habituated to see him thrash around in the bed but last night it was worse than any other nights _. He might have forgotten taking the sleeping draught last night_ , she thought while subconsciously started looking for the empty vial which must have been near the bedside table, but the draught was nowhere to be found. She usually was the one to brew it for him and always kept a batch of freshly brewed draughts in the drawer enclosed to the table, when she checked those the vials were all empty. _I will have to get another batch ready by this weekend._

She finished her morning rituals, taking time to obtain the regal look that the Lady of the Manor acquired during the initial period of their marriage. Though theirs was not a love marriage and Lucius being himself, had cleared the air politely informing her that it would remain merely nothing more than a social contract, yet she diligently sought her best to gain his genuine affection throughout her life. Narcissa succeeded though in her endeavour, but it had naturally come with a premium price, her happiness was promptly lost, her husband and son merely escaped their lifetime sentence to Azkaban; sincere thanks to Harry Potter and his mudblood faithful friend, but her family no long enjoyed a conventional life. After Narcissa was done, catching a last look at her glamorous image in the full length mirror, she went to join her husband in the garden area where they routinely took their morning tea.

"Lucius, darling do you feel under the weather today?" Mrs. Malfoy asked her husband while taking a sip of her Earl Grey. Having noticed his unusually tensed shoulders, from earlier this morning she couldn't help it.

Lucius Malfoy arched a blond brow at her enhanced interrogation, the only indication showing he had apprehended her.

He neatly folded the Daily Prophet; the front page held a lengthy section of Harry Potter and his notable company of aurors capturing yet another death eater; along with an explicit photograph of the boy-who-lived, beside him his fiery red headed best friend attending a press conference was adhered.

He turned to confront his wife, who was currently maintaining the ideal stoic expression. But interminable years of marital experience with Narcissa Malfoy (nee Black) prepared him not to prefer the innocent looks she gave. And right now she might seem apathetic, but was excruciatingly curious to know what was bothering her husband.

"What impels you to think, something is wrong dear wife"? He asked her indifferently. The purebloods are traditionally taught to encounter every social situation with indifference right from a premature age and both the Malfoys were carrying out an excellent job of that. He didn't desire his wife to tense more than her share. Merlin knows how much his dutiful wife had to suffer for his foolish decision in the past few years.

"These are naturally my nerves talking", Narcissa replied in nonchalance, she would break asunder his stony demeanour somehow.

" Don't you think we should launch a grand ball before Draco's upcoming wedding with the younger Greengrass girl?" she asked eyeing him slyly sideways, while drinking her tea and trying to gauge his blank reaction which was relenting slowly.  
Lucius Malfoy carefully placed the dainty cup on the decorative plate with sharp clink , other than that he seemed perfectly calm "Well about that Narcissa," he sighed "we might have to visit a few people before you start planning any event."

This instantly made his wife smirk. "Is it about the nightmare you dreamt last night or the front page headlines?"

Without caution he took her hand and apparated inside the manor in their drawing room which had been refurbished.

"Why did you transport us here love?"

Motioning her to take a seat on the plush sofa, he sat at ease beside his wife "the unpredictable weather seemed too bleary to speak outside."He sighed again."I dreamt something horrible last night." He looked earnestly in her azure eyes "this was not about what has already happened, this my dear was precisely related to our sons marriage."

Narcissa gasped and instantly placed a hand on her heart "Pray, tell me Lucius you didn't forsee the imminent death of our son."

"No, Narcissa not at all," her husband articulated staidly "it was the younger Greengrass girl who was killed." He accioed the decanter of firewhiskey and two flutes, after preparing two shots of it.

He handed one over to his wife, who gulped the liquid down in an un lady like manner and smiled shyly. "Cissy, do you know what I treasure about you?" he politely asked her.  
When she gently shook her sleek head , he knew the drink had merely started taking its toll on her " Your demureness even after being witness to the evil himself for so many terrible years."

"Thank you darling," she said tenderly. "You know I'm undoubtedly anything but innocent and can be the cruellest of all if it is needed," she said while twirling the flute in her hand, contemplating their future course, she said " I was thinking we should visit Madam Amelia today."

He remained silent for a while, calculating the whole situation "makes sure to floo call her beforehand," he smiled deviously, "lest she be entertaining her lewd guests", and slowly closed the distance between them, with a few inches between their lips.  
Narcissa carefully closed her eyes eagerly anticipating the calm kiss that would happen naturally and it did, but was not relaxed instead a range fireworks burst through her stimulated nerves.

* * *

Later that moonlit evening, Lord Malfoy had his stable master adequately prepare four of his best Abraxons to pull their carriage to the little island of Foxdale where the old seer lived. Lucius couldn't fathom her age, as much as he could remember he has been observing her the same since he was a wee babe. They couldn't apparate there as the whole island was warded and without her fireplace connected to the ministry floo network, it was not possible for them to floo through.

After he had seen to it that the Abraxans were ready, Lucius apparated straight to their bedding chambers to check on his wife. "Darling", she was standing in front of her full-length mirror "you look like an enchantress in this lavender green dress", he complimented walking behind her and placing a chaste kiss on her neck, reminding both of them of the afternoon they spend in each others arms.

"tsk tsk, My Lord, we wouldn't want to be late", she turned to face her husband, giving a peck on his lips "later."

Lucius grinned one of his rare ones which he now reserved exclusively for her. Even his son had never witnessed him smile politely except when the lad was a little kid. "Come on, I have had the Abraxans ready for our travel."

After travelling for most part of the evening, they reached the cottage past 7 in the evening. The enchanted forest surrounding the private cottage was eerily quiet, except the whooshing of the wind passing through the magnificent trees.

When the carriage came to a effectual stop, Lucius walked out and held the hackney door open for his wife to exit. Even after years of being married, she was pleased to see that his manners didn't recede with his dark activities.

"Let us not keep her waiting love," she placed her hand on the crook his arm.  
As Mr. Malfoy pushed, the cottage door opens, they saw that shack was enlightened with several candles.

"Come in Lord and Lady Malfoy", a musical voice from the chambers inside called them in.  
Narcissa looked up at her husband and with a quick nod both followed the familiar voice. The interior of the cottage was lined with apothecary chests in one side, leading to a door which seemed to open a conservatory. There were glass bell jars floating in every corner of the room, glowing a light shade of green; giving the real essence of the seer whose direct energy came from the Earth.

As they strained their eyes to acclimate with the fusion of lights and find the seer, lord Malfoy spotted the old woman sitting close to the corner with an oracle ball in front of her.

"Its good to see you both after so many years," the old witch summoned them, "so what brings you both here in my humble cottage."

They took seats opposite to her and were silent for a while before Lucius spoke eloquently "Madam, I had a nightmare last night", he started gravely.

"Which was quite different from the ones you generally have", she spoke trying to concentrate on "and you think might be related to your scion's future," she cackled. "Well you are right. "

They stole glances at each other and this time it was Narcissa who accepted the lead "Madam, we don't want the Greengrass girl killed for this wedding," she said, fear etching her angular features.

The seer cackled loudly at her statement "Getting the bride to-be killed will not get you an heir," she said, making even the cold daughter of Blacks fidget her dress.

Madam Amelia closed her eyes, chanted a few spells and then stared directly on her foreseeable ball; "The most powerful witch she is who will be fit to be the bride for your dragon," she cackled. "But my lord you will have to make the biggest sacrifice to secure the Malfoy heir."

Befuddled both the husband and wife stared at her for answers "The purebloods have all faced with power so dark, producing all their heirs with the future equally stark, to withhold the bonding strength of ancient house of Malfoys, will involve a witch whose magic when placed totally deploys", she almost sang out the words, while shaking vigorously.

"The girl will be protector of your heir and his throne, one with blood you believed muddy that she was tortured under your roof by a woman long gone", her words had slowly formed an image in their mind which they didn't want to believe, but the final sentence put a nail on the coffin.

"No it can't be, not the mud blood", Narcissa cried out in fear of soiling their pureblood lineage.

"But it is what the fates desire my lady," the seer hissed. "with the pureblood girl and your heir's bonding you might proceed cautiously, but this will merely steer her to bleed; no heirs will be born, lives will be forever torn", she spoke once more in one of her trance moods.

Lucius was equally terrified as his wife, but the seer was never wrong. He didn't require his family to be torn again, nor was there any other way for him to properly maintain the Malfoy name in England unless his son produced an heir. He had hitherto heard vicious rumours of many of the recently wedded pureblood couples being unable to naturally produce heirs. The reason might be the presence of dark magic still lingering in their body souls, as most of them were followers of the evil lord.

He might be repenting for his son, but there is one thing that Lucius Malfoy and all the Malfoys before him loved was having power and political control over the societal actions. And it's not that the Malfoys have never pursued muggle-borns, Lucius Malfoy I before him asked for Queen Elizabeth I's hand in marriage (which was declined because of political reasons). If the daily prophet is to be believed, Hermione Granger is the youngest witch in history to be appointed as the Head of a Department in the British Ministry of Magic at the age of 21.

"If the Granger girl can help us keep the family running, I will see to it that it happens", he spoke softly to his wife, while they were walking out of the cottage.

Once inside they boarded the carriage both of them were quiet for a while. Narcissa ruefully contemplating reasons the mudblood should be allowed to be her dragon's prospective bride and Lucius thinking of possible ways to stealthily approach the girl. "Cissa, the girl was unfortunately born among those third-class citizens, but we can't deny that the mudblood is the most powerful witch of the generation," her husband informed. She knew that the girl was intelligent, but to be the head of a department, she must be skilled. That remains to be decided until we encounter her.

"But how do you believe Lucius will we persuade the girl for the sacred bond? As much as I know about her, she is the stubbornest of the trio and barely looks in the way of purebloods during her personal visits to diagon alley. I fear she will never willingly set foot in our manor, lest marry our Draco," Narcissa sighed.  
The whining of the horses announced triumphantly their arrival back to their manor, Lucius heretofore stepped out of the carriage and had now offered his hand for his wife, help her out of the vehicle.

"Darling," he smiled adoringly at his wife "she might be strongest and most stubborn of them all, but she is also the kindest", he smirked as he recollected their trials and positive testimony for his family, also who can forget the famous Elfish Welfare Society of Hermione Granger "you will surely find out a way for her to co-operate with us."

"I sure will, Lucius," she said, letting her doubts aside and her brains running into complete concomitant of a flawless plan.

* * *

British Ministry of Magic

Ministry Archives

13:00 hours

"Hermione could you please wrap up your extensive research a bit earlier today"? Ron resolutely shut the massive book that he had been handed over, with a large thud.  
When she didn't indicate any ominous sign of hearing his baseless complaints which the red head had been managing for the past countless hours with enough subtlety, he gently nudged Harry with his knee to speak eloquently on their behalf.

"Mione, why don't we continue seeking the standard variety of trolls tomorrow"? He took a sideways glance at Ron while maintaining eye contact with his other best friend "I mean so far we have already established that the damage was done by a troll right, so. –"

"So we abandon the high-profile case in between and run along to watch attentively the snitch bouncing amidst Holyhead Harpies and Chudley Cannons?" Hermione snapped from her almost profound meditation like stance while levitating the book to the shelf where it properly belonged.

 _I don't know why Kingsley_ _even_ _proposed them to inevitably accompany me on the glorious day of a quidditch match_. "Harry, we only found that it is a troll, but do you think it will intentionally started hurting people"? When her boys were quite for a while, she sardonically continued relentlessly "Well don't you fondly remember the troll incident from our First year and how the giant being was voluntarily released by Voldemort "?

"Mione that was only once ", Ron being himself chimed in. "I am certain we'll get to witness more action than on the previous match", altogether overlooking the fact that Hermione was discussing about trolls, her best friend slumped back on his seat, unlike the past few hours when he had been straight rigid on the chair trying to grasp in whatever words advanced his way.

"I will have you know precisely, that Chudley Cannons performed a similar action with Puddlemeres United", both her loyal friends stared wide eyed at her official declaration " and Ron could you please learn to prioritize your specific tasks, Harry, You and Me are not here to earnestly discuss quidditch; let's focus on trolls for a while"; she hmphed.  
"You are right," Harry said while fixing his glasses for the umpteenth time. "What?" he quirked a brow at Hermione.

"Both of you are from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, not me," she huffed indignantly , "You blokes should be setting up guards in the village to protect the people instead of giving up for quidditch, come on guys."

"Uh, I will go get few more books", Ron stood up with Harry in tow, in no time both of them started browsing through the aisles related to magical creatures.

A smile crept up the brunette's face, her best friends were idiots most of the time, but no matter what she loved her boys.

After a while they both returned holding a book each in their hand.

"So what did you guys bring?" she anxiously asked them while continuing thoughtfully to scribble on the parchment.

Harry was gently pulling out his already used chair , while he replied promptly "I got 'Myths of Trolls of England' , Oi mate," Harry exclaimed to his red-haired best friend who was still moving through shelves, unable to decide on a book.

"Coming Harry," Ron pulled the book nearest to him and took the chair next to Harry, "Mine is called umm", he turned a shade brighter.

"What is it called Ron"? Hermione was at the point of running out of her patience.

"Mating Among Trolls", Ron muttered incoherently, which almost came out as a cautious whisper, both he friends didn't react for a while until Harry guffawed and a delighted giggle escaped the lovely brunette.

"Sorry mate", the boy-who-lived held up his calloused hands captiously, gradually suppressing the boisterous laughter.

Meanwhile, Ron's ears turned red "I should go and get something to eat", he escaped before they could even say lunch.

"Honestly, Harry", Hermione waved her hand " go, follow him."

Her best friend stood there for a while "What about you"?

"Bring me a few fish chips and some salad."

After they went to have lunch, she bookmarked the page she was going through and started rummaging through the investigation reports that Ron and Harry had brought for her, the reports were confidential to the aurors only, but who deny Hermione Granger? She was the War heroine above all.

Analysing halfway through the reports, she realised that the trolls were not main culprits behind these attacks.

* * *

"The death eaters must be behind this ",

"But Harry, why would the death eaters influence trolls to attack villagers", Ron pointed out "I mean, with their receded numbers, they should target us, especially Hermione or other muggle borns."

Hermione smiled and looked up at her best friend; these rare sparks of intelligence was what made her fall head over heels in love with this man "Ron's right Harry, I think the attackers belong to a total different, just a hunch, though", she succinctly stated.  
"Food really does help you mate," Harry joked lightening up their terse mood.

Typically bringing up the Battle of Hogwarts and death eaters still messed with their heads. The magical society has been comfortably at peace for sometime now and they didn't want to cry out battle classic songs again.

"Guys I have a rough idea of how to move forward with this", Harry whisper screamed after reading those reports for a while.

"We are all ears," Hermione conveyed and brought her closer to her two best friends.

"Hermione since you are the head of your department; you can assemble a few investigative teams to work on this specific case," he told the brunette, " You can ask them to find out information regarding the latest troll movements, more of a field, you understand?"

When Hermione nodded, he turned towards Ron "As for us we will have to engage in the game controlled, and slow", the red head looked sceptical so Harry explained him "Kingsley requires the case to remain exclusively as trolls attack, one of the reasons as to why the Minister didn't involve the MLE department head only Jones, the Head of Auror Office and the two of us," he said pointing towards himself and Ron.

"He still feels that our Head is corrupted?"

"The Minister has reasons Ron," Harry sighed, "So we will be able to investigate the case only when there is general chaos in the area, which", he grinned at Hermione "our dear best friend will definitely be able to handle."

"You can count on me, Harry", Hermione waved her hand as a salute," I think Padma and her team should be up to the arduous task of rousing a useless bit of unusual agitation in these French English borders," she smiled deviously.

She then glanced at her pocket watch, a recent gift from her father "I don't know about you guys" , she said hurriedly levitating the books back to their shelves "but I have to be back at my department before Tracey departs for the day."

"Will see you guys tomorrow," she said while leaving.

"Still a bit snobbish, isn't she?" Ron asked rhetorically while holding back a careless laugh.

"You ask me", Harry guffawed unable to hold back any longer.

* * *

Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

Level 4

17:00 hours

Walking down the necessary steps towards her office door she instantly realized that her secretary was getting ready to leave. "Tracey! " she called, "Did I receive any memos today?"

Tracey Davis looked up at Hermione, worry etching her angular face "It's good you are back sooner than I thought," she said, "I was about to leave..."

"What happened to Tracey"? Her pleasant voice filled with genuine compassion. "Is it your son again?"

The secretary took her bag and was about to leave "oh Hermione , I might a day's leave tomorrow, depending on the situation." The secretary hauled her bag and was about to leave

"oh Hermione , I might a day's leave tomorrow, depending on the situation."

"Don't worry about the office I will manage here and please don't hesitate to ask for help," Hermione said solemnly while her secretary smiled sadly and walked thoughtfully towards the lifts.

 _Now what does Kingsley require with me?_

* * *

 **Hello, everyone this is going to be a multi chapter story. First of all, I am still in search of a Beta , so if anyone is interested please inbox me. Honest reviews will be appreciated. This is my second Dramione and I am very excited about it. Hopefully I can take it to the end.**

 **Thank you everyone**


	2. A New Discovery

**I would like to clear first hand that English is not my native tongue , so the edits might not be up to the mark. Coming to your response from the prologue, I was very anxious the first time I posted it. But the response from roon0 and pendora59 made me put on more effort than the previous one .Thank you so much for following my stories everyone and I would like to apologise for not uploading it sooner. I had a few issues to solve but now I guess , there will not be much delay in the future chapters.**

 **Thanks all of you for giving me a chance.**

* * *

British Ministry of Magic

Level 9, Whitehall London

22 February 2005

12:30 hours

Unpleasantness

Was what she experienced in the Department of Mysteries, probably because the people being in work here, all kept to themselves and their research works. As one of the most secret kept departments, they were not allowed to share their workloads with their friends or family, everything was meant to be confidential in this place.

The historical fact that a critical battle against Lord Voldemort was fought here in 1996 did nothing to make their unique situation better nor the gloomy room lined with black marbles.

She could still recall the fierce way Lucius Malfoy slashed them with other death eaters and how ...? Considerably, times have changed for sure.

The concerned officials here work relentlessly with everything mysterious like love, hate, space, time. Most of them are presently interested with the power of a heightened emotion like love, after Harry Potter was said to be protected by his mother's love, the wizards and witches want to learn more about it. But there are, in addition, a few workers who want to discover the process of manipulating time. They work diligently with time travelers and other such ingenious devices, some of which were instantly seized from the old pure-blood death-eater manors when the dark lord was finally destroyed.

After the notable incident with Eloise Mintumble in the year 1899, when the witch was trapped for five days in the year 1402 and ended disastrously up severely altering the eternal lives of 25 unfortunate individuals and herself resolutely facing lots of violent altercations. Interval had been disturbed to such an boundless extent that the Ministry decided to ban time travelling devices and forcibly seize all of them.

Fortunately!

Not all Wizarding Ministries had similar principles, so the wizards and witches in need of time travelers could conveniently get those smuggled to Britain for an extraordinary price.

Like the one Hermione had been working frantically for the past few years, it was scarcely a device similar to a time-turner which the aurors seized from a dark wizard.

As the witch herself handled such a device during her third year, she was relatively familiar with its functioning but this one seemed to have been mechanized in a distinctive way. It looked remarkably like a muggle- quartz watch with a few appropriate buttons gone wrong.

Hermione had been newly appointed as an Unspeakable when this apparatus arrived in the Department of Mysteries. The senior officials were all busy with developing contemporary theories studying love and hate, so working with this strange appliance turned on the shoulders of the more junior staff.

They took turns working with it in the time room, when suddenly on a Wintry morning the Head of Department of Mysteries Mr. Hugo Cardoso summoned  
Hermione, while she was working along with her colleagues.

The secretary of Mr. Cardoso called her aside and asked her to meet the Head, which definitely meant an emergency case. They were all working on the case since the summer of 2003 and wanted a fast breakthrough, but that seemed to be far from their sight.

When she entered the cabinet of Hugo Cardoso, Hermione found him staring at a quartz watch "Miss Granger please have a seat ," he offered her.

After the witch had placed herself in the designated chair, the wizard ultimately withdrew his observant eyes from the watch and looked up at her "Miss Granger you have exalted undefinable brilliance in the past few years, which is one of the reasons we eagerly sought the Minister to place you in our Department," he said thoughtfully observing the witch like a fierce hawk.

" You are working collaboratively on the time-turner device, I... believe," he paused for a possible while causing her to realize he was expecting an answer.

"Yes Sir, I am."

"Well it has come to my notice that the specific device has been fashioned similar to a muggle quartz watch and since you are the only muggle in the department," he said and then took a lengthy pause, making Hermione overthink about his following statement. "I would like assigning the job solitary to you , Miss Granger, find out whatever you can." he spoke eloquently while subtly shifting his comprehensive glance to the daily prophet where a photograph of Harry Potter was published "for a head-start, feel free to ask for urgent help from the auror department," he said before promptly dismissing her.

His concluding statement had undoubtedly left her unsettled that day, because a collaboration of the Department of Mysteries and Department of Magical Law Enforcement was absolutely rarely heard of, that too for a controversial case which didn't involve any murders.

Hermione reluctantly followed his practical advice anyways, after a few days she inquired Harry who was currently the Head of Auror Office to find out the country of probable origin of the suspicious device.

It wasn't until today morning that she positively received the critical reports of their wide-ranging investigation. What astounded her was, they found the time-turner was a smuggled product from Japan through France. The claimed wizard racket that were convicted on this key issue was reportedly, French men who maintained profound connections throughout the globe. Theodore Nott, who presently works for an International Wizards Security Company, purchased this from Knockturn alley; what he indeed meant to achieve with it has yet not been found.

Hermione was rigorously scratching her quill fast against the parchment, working efficiently on a recent set of Arithmancy when she scarcely heard the hooting sound. The witch knew instantly this wouldn't end until she got the message.

 _One of the substantial reasons why Ministry didn't allow other department officials to typically send flying Memos here._

Covering the next few necessary steps she opened the window pane, it was Nimbus, Harry's owl. The poor soul was getting far too old to be carrying messages anymore. Hermione untied the thread in his leg conveying the message,

"Could you wait a moment please, Nimbus?"

She left him standing there to get a few treats for him, eyeing her ministerial colleagues who were busy solving their own issues.

When she reached her cubicle, Hermione started comprehending the message:

Hermione,

You are late again, waiting for you in the atrium.

Harry ,

Oh Merlin!

The witch instantly checked her watch and it was about to be 2:40 pm, which means she was at present forty minutes late, thanks to her tedious job.

Without squandering much time, she provided a quick reply:

Harry,

Really sorry, was caught in work, wait for me there.

Hermione Granger

She then provided the owl a few treats and gave him the message.

 _The functional equations will have to wait._ _  
_

Hermione secured all her reports in her bag and went to escort Harry.

When the lift dinged the atrium floor, she started walking towards the fountain ; where her best friend was busy talking to one of the aurors.  
Hence, she slowed down her pace and stood beside Harry while the wizards shook hands and her best friend's co-worker left.

"So where are we going today?" Hermione asked out of considerable excitement, she might adamantly deny it publicly but the boy-who-lived had much better taste than her while choosing restaurants. He had his lovely wife to thank for that.

"I don't think you ever got a chance to visit the new 'Deli' started by Hannah last month?" he asked her rhetorically while walking to the apparition point.  
"Unless you count the opening day," Hermione replied giggling "No."

" I am certain you will be in for a surprise then ," the wizard promptly informed her before taking her hand for a side-along apparition.

After almost an hour, their lunch was done and both friends were walking back to their floors, Hermione couldn't stop laughing over an anecdote Harry was sharing with her about his most recent family trip to Egypt.

Ginny being the successful manager of the Holyhead Harpies managed to land VIP tickets of the final match for Harry and their son. After the match, which unfortunately ended with Egyptian National Team receiving the cup, George who was also present there courtesy to the excellent profit from their Joke Shop; offered to give them a grand tour of the Pyramids.

"As the cab rolled by our ultimate destination, James frantically ran towards the pyramids. Ginny, of course, had to restrain him while the security verified our passport," Harry laughed fondly recalling the whole debacle.

They had already reached his floor "But you know precisely, the hilarious issue was my son," the wizard said " he kept on running towards the nearest pyramid, to get inside it", Harry chuckled again. "Once inside the eager lad couldn't find any mummy and was completely devastated."

"Absolutely, they shifted the mummies to the museum," Hermione provided.

"That's what the Guard informed after George inquired him, 'you cannot see the mummy because it isn't here', exploring the historical museum was not an option as I had taken only a day's leave."

Harry's last statement rang a bell on Hermione's head, "Can you say that again?"

The boy-who -lived wasn't shocked at all of his friend's weird behavior, _she must have found a personal solution to something_ "I had merely taken only a day..".

Before Harry could satisfactorily complete the lenient sentence she rebuffed him off "Not that, something the guard told you".

"Oh that", he again smiled recalling the exact words " _you cannot see the mummy because it isn't here_ ," he mimicked the guard.  
Her eyes widened with overwhelming realization and Hermione wrapped Harry in a quick hug "I must be elsewhere right away, see you later."

Once in her cubicle, she knew what to do. The dial she was wrecking her brains to recreate was simply not meant to be there.

Hermione now took a proper look at the possible time turner device, sure it had no dial to turn time. But the witch could see a surfacing tiny button. A steady smile crept up her face, she knew what this press stud was meant to be. This turner worked like a digital quartz watch, she could just press down the button for the considerable number of years she wanted to go past and the calendar year would be visible on the tiny display screen. _An excellent invention_ _by the Japanese_ , the witch reminisced fondly.

A well organized and planned life was what Hermione Granger lived, but the present discovery was goading her curiosity, she knew she would take a step which might alter many of her future decisions.

But before continuing impressively with her elaborate plan of action she would have to take steps to sufficiently clear her magic of all magical offences and specific rules that she would later break.

With a layout in mind, she visited the Archives of her department to acquire a few books on time turners made throughout the world. Presumably they would possess articles regarding this.

None!

So without wasting any more time she sat down to write a description on the direct observation of the device. After penning down a few distinctive notes on her report, Hermione submitted her reports to the Head of the Department.

Once done with her reporting she decided to pay a visit to her old Gryffindor housemate in the Department of Magical Transportation.

When the monotonous voice charmed to declare designated floors; announced that it was level 6 she walked upright to the Port Key Office, without halting, the witch feared that Percy Weasley might be lurking somewhere close as the Head of the Department he had to keep their Regulations in check, but being over-impressed with himself Percy constantly tries to track down people so that he could boast around.

As she was walking past the Floo Network office, Hermione saw the wizard berating one of his secretary.

Thank God!

She stealthily covered the distance up to her destination and stopped in front of Susan Bones cubicle. The witch was busy charming a few Galleons into port keys, one of the cheapest Port Keys were typically Galleons, but Hermione preferred Muggle pens.

"Susan ," she called, "Could you please charm these pens into an International Port Key?"

"Oh Hermione," Susan looked up "May I know the location and timings of your travel and the Departmental Head's approval, if it is for an official visit."

"I definitely have those ," Hermione said, "here this is the approval, my ID and the muggle pens."

"I have these ready in a jiffy ," Susan smiled, "In the mean while why don't you take a seat and relax."

Susan always had a way to calm people, Hermione thought if she would not have joined the ministry, she would be a perfect healer.

"Don't think I will have to inform you regarding the regulations," Susan said heartily while carefully handing the prolific pens presently turned to Port keys to the other witch.

"Percy does a good job of it already," the lovely brunette chuckled, while stuffing the travelling devices in her diplomatic bag.

* * *

Magical Congress of the United States of America

Woolworth Building, New York

10:15 hours

The canteen was filled with large throngs, having a meal here on Friday meant you would have to the hustle or finish your task early and order your meal. Resourceful that he was precisely, Draco Malfoy had already ordered their lunch meal which included Cobb Salad and Truffle Risotto for himself, Chicken Caesar and Pan Roasted Salmon for Astoria and their chaperone, for dessert they would have Apple Berry Crisp with Vanilla Bean Ice cream, one his fiancée's favourite. The wizard was unsure who she would prefer with her today. Usually, it was her private governess, but now that she had finally graduated from Hogwarts, her mother might traditionally accompany her.

Draco patiently waited for a few minutes before he could caress a carefully coiffed raven dusky head and promptly following her was a familiar blonde.

Unbeknownst to him a pleasant smile had hitherto captured its place in his pale face, "Hello there ladies, " he called them "I sincerely hope you travelled safely."

"As safe and convenient as any international travel Draco", the Blonde spoke up apathetically while taking a seat beside her affectionate sister.

"Come on Daph; it wasn't so bad", her sister censured , "besides, you have been craving to visit New York for months..."

"MONTHS is the objective word here Tori."

Draco keenly watched the sisters bantering for a while, before intervening " I believe you ladies don't mind me ordering our meal before-hand", he spoke slowly trying to gauge the gorgeous blonde's reaction. He hadn't perceived her for years, though they were friends for ages but her sudden decision of escape wedding had lulled their longstanding friendship.

Unlike her usual self-Daphne drawled out "Seriously, after being almost brought up alongside since us being in our nappies, I'm sure you know what I like and..."she paused for a while looking at her "I am not really proud to admit this but, you seem to know Tori better than me."  
Her sister let a giggle, and Daphne wrapped an arm around her.

"So tell me, how is husband treating you"? Draco wiggled an eye-brow "I mean you broke the usual norm."

"Mr. Malfoy, your meal ", the waiter levitated their ordered lunch, "Hope you enjoy our service," he said and left for them to eagerly devour their dishes.

"Lee is different from the usual Gryffindors", Daphne spoke eloquently while consuming her Salmon "He doesn't go upfront about things, but he doesn't leave matters to rest on their own. Jordan enjoys round about ways of clarifying issues, a funny, caring husband. He is everything I have ever desired", she allowed a distant smile to settle on her lips.  
"You are completely and utterly taken by him," Astoria teased her.

Draco could feel something was off about his fiancee today, her smiles were reasonably calculated and looked fake. She was concealing something and he wouldn't prod unless the situation seemed dire.

As luck would compel it, he didn't have to wait indeed more for a long time before she confessed the truth "Draco, I'm certain you must be pondering why instead of properly meeting next month, we proposed to arrange a meeting today"?

"Tori I would be elated to meet you every day", he exclaimed, "if not for this job here, I would gladly spend most of my time with you..."

Astoria could see the evident sincerity and his devotion for her in those grey eyes, but she couldn't stare at him for long , lest tears would form in her azure orbs "out betrothal has been promptly cancelled starting the previous week", she stated matter-of- factually. Both siblings waited passively for him to react.

Daphne wanted to witness him throwing tantrums, instead a straightforward question followed her sister's statement "I see, do you comprehend why"?

"Draco , we don't have the facts clear but rendering to your parents my sister would come to fatal harm during the bonding", it was Daphne who spoke " they said it embodied something to do with the remnants of the dark lords magic in your cerebral veins.

Astoria placed her hand above his when the dishes were removed "Us pure blood women have turned extremely weak due to inter family marriages leading to incurable diseases."

"But Tori we already discussed this," her fiance hissed. "why would you listen to them"? He was almost pleading.

"Because I want to see, you grow old, even if we stay apart we can be friends Draco", she cooed to him "both of us, we are not in love with each other and.."

"And Tori", he had produced the familiar mask on inexpressiveness.

"Even if you do not believe it, muggles did not steal our magic," she sighed knowing full well that Draco was somewhat prejudiced about muggle-born witches and wizards " the witch in question is very powerful, strong enough to duel your father and I suppose win it ," she carefully finished.

"Weddings are decisions of the fate", Daphne tried explaining him "perhaps Tori and you are not meant to be, may be its their way of choosing the person who would suit you the best," she offered a slight smile.

"And who would that be Daph?"

"Hermione Granger," her sister explained him.

If Daphne wouldn't have noted it, she would have genuinely believed her sisters ramblings of Draco being a 'charming and sweet' person. But the storm in those grey eyes, even if masked within a second told a different story. The man in front of her had changed, the years during the war and following it was exceptionally tough for him.

She would frequently hear her sister speak fondly, how he would stay silent for hours; simply listening to her rant about her thoughts and modern philosophies. But that was not merely what lay beneath those layers. May hap Granger would be able to penetrate his wall and break free of all the curses. She was recognized to care for all lost cases, as her beloved husband fondly recalled most of the time.

A civil commotion from the street brought her out of the trance. Draco instantly stood up

"Astoria do you have a return port key"? he asked, his wand already pulled out.

"We do.."

"Okay then, wait for a few minutes, allow me to get this sorted," he said in a rush and jogged out to the atrium, to discover the potential source of such dissonance.

What he found there led him to unduly worry for the security of his fianc...no friend and her sister's security. Funny how things work out, never had he thought that he would refer to Astoria as his friend and Daphne her sister.

Someone from Department of Unidentifiable Magical Objects was screaming shrilly at the top of his voice; he knew the guy by his face, encountered him a few times during MACUSA events. The wizard seemed to be pointing at a box which appeared to be emitting some form of impenetrable smoke.

A few minutes later the Head of Department of No-Maj Misinformation arrived instantly putting a defensive spell round the box and levitated it outside.

A muggle detonator of some sort perhaps, Draco was intrigued by the case but he had two lovely ladies waiting for him in the cafeteria.

On his way back, he felt his chest vibrating. He stopped surveying his familiar surroundings and pulled out a cent from his breast pocket. The cent was glowing bright with a message:

 **Captured the convict related to trespassing the Muggle Bio Weapon.**

 _One of Granger's brilliant invention and here I am not even offering a tribute,_ he smirked.

 **Restrain the individual for a while, until I return** , he sent a message back.

Meanwhile both sisters nearly jumped out of their seats when Draco returned; one out of fear while the other to go back home on time.

Astoria withdrew the port key which was a letter, Draco solemnly shook hands with her sister,

"I hope to see you both soon."

Daphne could see uncontrollable tears undoubtedly forming in her sister's eyes, so she stepped holding the letter which had been unactivated yet.

Draco pulled Astoria in a parting hug "I hope you don't set me out your mind."

"Never," she whispered earnestly before walking up to her sister and the portkey hauled them both out of the place.

Champ de Mars

* * *

Paris, France

17:30 hours

Sweltering in the cold weather was not something common among Parisians, specially when there was snow glistening the outdoors. Yet the raven-haired man who was standing at a corner of the dark alley bending away from the Champs, seemed to be sweating like a dog. The blond who had naturally followed him there was faring much better in terms of complex emotions.

Albrecht Schulz was a man of few words. He embraced his chosen profession and could undertake anything to maintain it. Being born as a German French half blood wizard, where his parents both were descendants of Germany and had to transfer to France during the Nazi attack; he was determined to become a doctor, not a healer. Albrecht wanted to serve his mother's weak health who was a muggle born. As a trainee however he wasn't allowed to do much of a research work, soon he started working overtime and was approved an early head start to his research work within a span of four years. The half blooded wizard was one of the first German doctors to have been allowed, unfortunately his mother didn't survive. Belatedly he got into healer training in Centre de Santé (French Wizarding Medical Care Center) and received a degree in the Magical Cure of Dark Curses.

Emile Alban Malfoy is one of his few trusted friends. They met in one of the World Healer Conference of the Magical Community in Sweden, but their acquaintance didn't turn into friendship until a few years when they met again during a wedding of their colleague. Both working for the Centre de Santé , they were dutifully attending the bonding ceremony of a co-worker. It was there Albrecht met Leticia Yolande Malfoy, the witch was close friends with the bride.

"Monsieur, I genuinely think you have lost your way ," she had told him, when the witch found him following her.

"Non, dear Madame," he had instantly switched on his charming mode, "I perfectly identify my potential path and..," he cautiously covered the next few steps, bringing himself closer to her "I believe,it leads to you," the wizard had told her eloquently while taking a swig of Gilly water from his flute and delivering one over to her.

Overtime he found the lady he was trying to woo, was in fact his friends twin sister; which essentially proved to be a benefit in his case. But the gracious lady in question was not extremely amiable to be charmed, she was a Malfoy and remained true to her regal house. Yet with a bit of help Albrecht was getting firmer to not provoke her with his overwhelming presence anymore and he supposed she probably would agree to his intended proposal if he could devote more time to her.

But today they are hither in the Champs with a complete diverse mission to fulfill.

But that's not what they were here to do today.

"Emile, can you explain the meaning to me of being subtle?" Albrecht pulled out a cigarette and lit it, while staring at the enchanting Eiffel Tower.

" _Frere_ (brother) can you not be sarcastique for a while", the raven-haired wizard severely reprimanded his friend, "I don't know, _que faire ici_ (What to do here?) ?"he confessed staring at his shoes now.

"Emile look at me", the blond's voice suddenly turned icy " _regarde mon visage_ , Emile (look at my face, Emile), I didn't ask you to use the _Vivus Rajeunir_ (necromancy charm) on the witch and resurrect her," he hissed before taking a long puff.

"Albrecht", the pureblood wizard slowly looked up at his friend whose luscious strawberry flaxen hair was now veiling his luminous eyes, "I don't know, what came over me."

"What do you mean my friend?"

"I mean my sister; she might come to know of this", he slowly replied unable to confront his friend.

" _Ce n'est pas tout le problème, n'est-ce pas_? (But that's not the whole issue, is it?)"when Albrecht saw Emile's face tighten, he grinned "You cherish her."

The raven-haired wizard blushed a little, "I could not kill her," he sighed, "the sole way left was to shift her."

"We still have a possible solution to hush it all down," Albrecht said casually observing his elegant surrounding "you perceive what I mean?"

"I will have to unite with her," Emile whispered slowly in a half-hearted resolution "deceive everyone with pureblood stringent rules ," he smiled ruefully.

"Catherine is not a vampire now, is she?" Albrecht asked, suddenly concerned of his friend's future. The fainter shade of blue in the sky had turned impulsively to a more sinister one. He turned to look at his distressed friend who now stood slumped against a wall.

"She is something in between, asks for blood and at times raw meat," the wizard spoke "You know the woman looked so innocent and pretty lying down there I couldn't stop; felt an irresistible pull towards her,"

Emile grinned in a carefree way.

"A wedding is in order then," Albrecht drawled casually while crushing down the remnants of his half burnt cigarette, " I guess your sister will have to be handled cautiously."

Emile let out a small chuckle "She can be more than handful at times."

"Catherine should share nothing about her experience to Leticia," the blond wizard said and started walking towards a man.

They were in wizarding section of Paris outskirts, an area filled with pureblood population.

"Are you sure about this freckled faced wizard?" Emile asked his friend while dutifully following him.

"Believe me, I am."

The pair of them followed the lone wizard to a restaurant which held their services open for both wizarding and muggle society, called _Nos Ancentres les Gaulois_.

The Front yard of the diner was set up for the muggles while the backyard which was the area where wizards came to dine; it was charmed to look like vineyard and access was forbidden for the people with no magic.

Emile and Albrecht occupied a table close to the wizard and called for the waiter to order a Calisson and Clafoutis each. Following a discussion on issues regarding the technological development in Health sector of the wizarding world while keeping a keen eye on the freckled wizard, as both were related to the French Wizard Hospital it wasn't really a tedious job for them.

The wizard's seat was arranged in such a way that he had his back to both the wizards who had been following him.

This was definitely an opening for them " _Amplifico Reverbio_ ," Emile casted the charm wandlessly on the other prey.

" A brilliant charm dear friend," Albrecht praised the raven-haired wizard.

"Invented this last summer," Emile winked.

"Let's put an ear to whatever; our dear friend has to say then," the blond said with a smirk.

The wizard they followed was discussing about dragons; he wanted to buy them from the witch with exotic look, sitting opposite him. She was unhappy with the bargain and wanted more profit.

"Why do you think are we listening to dragon selling talks Albrecht?" Emile suddenly whispered.

Habituated to Emile's childishly curious nature his friend replied "The boss needs her dragons and Monsieur Freckles ici (here) will probably not be a profitable client for her."

* * *

 **I would like to thank all of you for reading this chapter. All sorts of critical comments are welcome.**


	3. Mending Friendships and a Visit to Japan

**Mending Friendships and Visiting Places**

 **I am sorry again for the late update. I will be travelling to a new country soon for a long time, so procedures for that is taking most of my time. I thank my reviewers and followers again.**

 **Here I tried portraying bits of Japanese wizarding community. Might have made lots of mistakes, your comments will be helpful.**

* * *

 **British Magic Ministry,**

 **Whitehall London**

 **24 February 2005**

 **10:30 a.m.**

Wrecked

His vulnerable brain was most likely about to stop working diligently from the sheer amount of rough pressure he was putting on it to try and find her whereabouts. Ronald Weasley was no stupid wizard; he knew his female best friend was much more intellectual than him and they were not compatible with each other, but that didn't mean he couldn't care for her. They might have broken up right after two months of the battle, but that surely didn't mean he wouldn't worry for her. He might not be talking to Harry for more than a month due to an argument against his muggle relatives "The Dursleys" , who were now a part of their lives and constantly making their advancements in his family. But that definitely didn't mean he couldn't ask his scar headed best friend about Hermione.

The day she returned from Australia with her parents, was the first time he realised that Hermione needed someone better than him, a man who could understand her emotions. Ron wanted to follow her there to the other side of the world and help the witch with her search, but she wanted to do it all by herself.

As a Gryffindor, the witch was supposed to carry her emotions on her sleeve, except she didn't. When he entered her little flat in Diagon Alley, London, Ron could experience a change in atmosphere within the tiny apartment. So he called for her, but instead of the brunette head that he was expecting; a soft orange ball of fur started rubbing itself on his feet. A few minutes later when the wizard severely strained his ears he heard water running in the bathroom, _Mione is probably taking a shower_ , he thought in the mean while to keep himself busy he started methodically searching for something edible in her kitchen.

Almost half an hour later when Hermione walked out of her bedroom in plain white t-shirt and black jeans, she called for her pet "Croonkshanks", her voice a bit hoarse. She hadn't seen the wizard devouring her snacks and was instantly alarmed, hands on her wand, a stunning charm might have been on her tongue as well, if she hadn't spotted him sitting with a cheese sandwich on her dining table "Ron?"

"Mione, I was wondering how you have been"? He was his usual carefree self, stuffing as much as he could in his mouth. Leaving home without break fast did that to him.

"Fine Ron," she answered in nonchalance and picked up Crooks who was trying to get her attention. When she tried feeding him Tuna, the Kneazle mix seemed more interested in licking her face.  
Ron guffawed at that "Gosh Mione, I think your cat wants to caress you."

Hermione gave him a tight lipped smile while he busied feeding himself rest of the sandwiches.

A month later he had come to know that her cat was far more sensible than him. The little pet was trying to lick her tears away.

After the witch was able to successfully return her parents memory, they were not at all happy with her offensive actions, Mr and Mrs Granger berated her and demanded their daughter to devote the rest of her life living like a muggle, their social relation was almost devasted when she steadfastly denied their wish. The day on which he visited her flat, she had merely returned to her place from her parent's and was crying in her shower.

How Harry managed to divulge it all out of her without being lied to, was something he would never know.

Ronald felt like an dunce when his best friend informed him about the situation with Hermione and the senior Grangers. The day after that his dad, having been an old acquaintance of her parents, visited them along with Harry. They explained the whole scenario including, how Voldemort was hell bent on killing all muggle borns, specially Hermione and the Grangers. By degrees the whole issue crept in on their heads. Her dear mother was the first one to break down sobbing hysterically, she had been holding daughter for hours in her motherly arms.

Hermione was no rule-breaker, but she was there for him whenever he needed her. When he had left the Ministry to work for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Harry didn't support his decision but she had taken him to dinner, in order to lighten up the grim feeling he felt during his first day in the shop. Neither Harry nor his family ,with an exception to his mother had appreciated his sudden decision to promote George.

The witch was a constant presence in his life, since they were eleven years old. But more than once he could not reciprocate the same for her. Hermione needed him when she was in her most vulnerable state, dreaming of the Malfoy Manor writhing while being tortured by Bellatrix, in the early days of their courtship. It was Harry who aided her instead of Ron , he woke up constantly to her screaming, tossing and turning on her bed in the room next to the one he shared with Ron in Grimmauld Place. The scar headed wizard would hush soothing words to persuade her to sleep well. Her boyfriend would never enter her room, sometimes he would put on earmuffs to prevent her heart breaking shouts from getting in his ears otherwise drink himself to obliviousness using Ogden's Old.

Those were the days of past , their friendship has seen lots of ups and downs since then. Now a days she seems to be very sneaky about things. Hermione is bound to Merlin knows how many Unbreakable vows, after she started working professionally for the Department of Mysteries.

He was about to take lunch with the witch yesterday, but she failed to show up. The solitary way he could contact her was through owling. When his owl returned without being able to deliver the message, Ron felt something was amiss with her. Either Hermione wasn't working or she might have been…? Hermione has faced the death eaters innumerable times already to have been allegedly kidnapped by them. He would be hexed by her, if his thoughts even remotely lurked close to the idea.

With these coherent thoughts in mind, he walked up to the Auror Office, strolling straight to the raven haired witch organising files. "Can you instantly inform Harry Potter that Ronald Weasley is here to greet him?" he demanded her.

"May I know the reason why you are here?" the witch, an ex-Hogwarts student working as secretary of Head Auror, asked him

"It is a family issue Davis and I am not at liberty to state it yet?" the ex-auror fixated her with his glare.

This didn't make the witch cower though, "Well if you say so" , she said with an air of apathy in her voice and then removed the wards with a few swishes of her wand, peeked inside Harry's chamber and probably informed him of his newest guest. "Mr. Weasley, Head Auror Potter is ready to receive you now," with that Tracey Davis returned to arranging files.

As he slowly opened the door to his best friend's chamber, Ronald Weasley took in the entire scenario; a habit inculcated from his job. Harry was sitting comfortably on the other side of the desk , his greenish eyes relatively gentle from the last time Ron had witnessed them.

"Mate, how are you?" the head auror asked his best mate slowly standing up from his chair.

Ron couldn't help but pout, it had been so long and his best mate was only standing like a fool instead of thumping his back or giving him a long hug, like they used to.

Harry having sensed his best friend's hurt feelings rushed to the other side and hugged him fiercely. "It has been almost a terrible month," he smiled. "I would never understand your choice to transfer to Hit Wizard, but I guess it must have given you time enough to help George with the joke shop?" his statement came out more as a question.

Ron released a breath; he didn't know he was holding "Did Mione put you up to it?" he asked tentatively.

"Both Mione and your sister," Harry chuckled "Ginny credibly threatened to let me sleep on the couch if..."

"You don't stop being a prat," Ron caught up with him, years of togetherness had made them really close."In fact the night I had dinner with Hermione she explained me how I could be there for George even while working for the Ministry and as the Hit Wizards are always unneeded except during serious cases, which is once in two months I tell you," the wizard chuckled," I thought for a while and…er just applied ," he was smiling now while reminiscing fondly the memory, but it brought back a certain brunette in his mind. Silently thanking Merlin, for not bringing up anything about the Dursleys , he was not ready to accept them yet as an extended family.

Taking a seat opposite Harry's desk Ron requested him "Harry, mate" , his jovial tone changed into seriousness "Do you know where…Mione is?"

The chosen one's face remained blank for a few seconds before he asked ,"Did she not notify you?"

"We were going having lunch together in Diagon Alley, but when I reached there she was no where," Ron completed exasperated " Mate Mione didn't even owl me."

"And?" the head auror knew there was more to it than his best friend was telling him.

"Errol inevitably returned without delivering the message to her."

Harry carefully analysed the complex situation for a while; Hermione was not someone who would do anything without anticipating things first "Ron I think she must have left for Japan," when his dearest friend produced a befuddled look, that only Ron was capable of , Harry explained "Hermione must be meticulously researching on a time-travel device which we seized from the Nott guy, apparently manufactured in Japan and since it is far away, so that might be the reason Errol couldn't reach, besides…the owl needs to retire...What?"

"Nott you say...how did he get one?" Ron tried to clarify.

The boy who lived simply shrugged, "Don't know mate."

"Hence you think she must have gone there for research purpose?" the red headed wizard thoughtfully interrogated him.

Harry bent down on his desk going cautiously through a recent case file " There's no where else she would go."

"May be you are right, mate," Ron reluctantly agreed after a while.

A smile gradually forming in the head auror's face, "Ron I know you genuinely care for her, all of us do, but she is all grown up like us and … she is gifted with charms."

"Blimey, how can I abandon that knowledge Harry?" the hit wizard chuckled gleefully "She would Kick their arses if the specific need arose."

While the scar headed wizard was assuming his seat , he heard someone's stomach growling "Merlin! I knew, having those pancakes would do nothing for my poor stomach," his best friend justly complained.

Harry let out guffaw "I guess there is something for you here," he said while trying to control his bursts of boisterous laughter.

The wizard unlocked a drawer from the cabinet near his desk with a non-verbal _Alohamora_ and levitated a snack box in front of Ron. "Here, open it", he wiggled his expressive eyebrows.

The red headed wizard eagerly opened the lid of the lunch box and started munching on Chocolate truffles "Ron! "Harry exclaimed. "Wait for me mate," he said before diving on the truffles himself.

When the dessert no longer existed in front of them and had made their way safely in the tummy of both the wizards, Harry chanced a anxious glance at his closest friend and found his best friend licking his fingers, the head auror simply jerked his head with a smile at the childish gesture.

"Mate, guess it will be better to.. uh take my leave now," Ron spoke awkwardly while scratching his head, he was still not able to form fully coherent formal sentences.

"Umm…Ron?" Harry spoke nervously collecting himself from the shock, in the mean while his best friend had hitherto carried the few steps towards the door " Would you please take your seat back?"

The red headed wizard might no longer be working for the auror office, but Ron knew his best mate enough to understand when Harry referred to strictly business. Without further questions he took the designated chair opposite the Head Auror, intent on listening whatever the former had to say.

Forwarding the file towards his best friend, he said " check this file out, there's a serious issue where we might need your help."

The hit wizard turned a few pages and read attentively the first two or three lines "Mate why don't you tell me what it is about."

An experience and friendship of working with the guy opposite him, gave Harry a premonition that he should put forward the on-site photos to explain the case better. So that's what he did, he shoved a few photographs in Ron's direction, all of them showing murder scenes of different women. There were three photographs in total, and the women had their neck slashed. "Are these pure blood witches I am gazing at?"

"Right."

"Harry temme the truth, how long did you get to adequately prepare for this?" Ron asked suddenly furious, realising Harry had already known that they would working together.

"Mate just calm down, will you?" Harry pleaded fixing his glasses and walking up the steps to the door, establishing their distance.

Ron was silent for a while, he had come a long way from being the gangly teenager who would get enraged at any moment with the temper of a tea spoon, to an adult who was dating the editor of Witch Weekly as well as someone he considered responsible second to Bill and Hermione, a tremendous compliment in his opinion. He even handled his fans better, instead of signing photographs he waved at them from far.

"The mode of action was decided last night that we would be taking help from the Hit Wizards and the notice will not be issued until today evening, " Harry spoke softly while repossessing his seat. "It was merely a co-incident that you visited..."

"It's alright."

"I am sorry mate, I." Harry continued soberly staring at his dragon hide shoes, "Pardon," he looked up at his best friend like a child who had received Christmas gifts early

"I guess, you are right," Ron said looking at everything except him. "Let us get this over with, ye mate," he walked ahead leaving Harry behind, turned the chair towards him and started considering the photographs intently, while taking the seat.

Harry quirked his brow and replaced his sappy look with a smile. He slowly walked up to his best friend, thumped him on the back and joined the investigation.

* * *

 **Mahoutokoro** **  
**

 **Highest point of** **Minami** **Iwo** **Jima**

 **Japan  
** **11:00 hours** **  
**

Wonderstruck!

Can be said about Hermione, once she landed gently in Mahoutokoro. The specialized school was pretty much as described by her colleagues from the Department of Mysteries, who had been here in the past during his youth and a friend from the Japanese Ministry of Magic office of International Magical Affairs. He was there in England to attend the Global Magical Creatures Conference, the said witch was the Head of the Department of Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures then. While the diplomatic conference lasted for three days, Hermione couldn't get her fill of arcane knowledge from the wizard. As the Head of a department hosting a global event, she had lot more integral duties to fulfil other than gaining information about the wizarding world of Japan.

With the help of remnants of data, she had collected from the vast collection of books in the Hogwarts Library and a certain manor housing ancient tomes, the witch had formed a rough sketch of the place in her mind. But no description or research on the school could prepare her for the visuals of the genuine thing. By all means, the school was established on the peak of Minami Iwo Jima and built using Mutton-Fat Jade but it was so much more. The beauty of the enchanted palace was certainly indescribable, something she could never compare to Hogwarts.

Their Cloud Pelter came to a halt near the palace gates while she levitated herself down careful not to disturb the delicate thing. Hermione was still enchanted by the way it moved.

* * *

 **Earlier** **  
**

Her portkey was intentionally designed in such a way that she landed near a Japanese Shrine, almost an hour earlier, in the city of Kyoto. A day prior to her travel she had used the only source of calling her long lost acquaintance in Japan, which could communicate her message in a few minutes. There is no floo network in Japan, so Hermione had to get a mobile phone to call her Japanese friend Takakashi. Her mother had been pestering her to purchase one for a few years now, but as she already owned a telephone she wasn't much interested. Unfortunately , she hadn't subscribed for international calling services and getting a cell phone would be more feasible. So, it was yesterday that Hermione heeded her mother's advice and bought a new cell phone. As soon as the SIM card was activated she dialled the number he had given her three years prior and called the wizard.

Once the momentum of being pulled out forsook her, Hermione turned around to see if he was there already. Mr. Takakashi was sitting on a bench outside a gourmet restaurant the standard name plate of which read "Haruna." To her right, there was a shop selling traditional Japanese Kimono ,a few steps ahead was a book shop. Hermione instantly noticed that nothing looked magical about this not-at-all bustling street which was lined with Cherry Blossom trees. So, she started walking with a swift pace towards her noble friend, anxious that someone must have seen her odd appearance, she checked her surroundings once every minute. Unlike London, this street of Kyoto wasn't much swarmed. She hastened towards the wizard sitting within a few meters from her, while taking in the scene around her.

A middle aged man wearing a Wafuku Kimono was strolling leisurely down the dull street comfortably holding a paint brush, that too of a size considerably more enormous than ordinary paintbrushes. "Wondering, what it is?" she heard a familiar male voice next to her and as of habit, her hands immediately reached the wand attached with a halter to her left arm. "No worries, Hermione-san, it's me Akihito," he said before the witch turned to confront him.

Her friend bowed (a Japanese way) as a sign of respect she did the same. "I don't identify what it is about this brush, but something doesn't feel right;" she spoke out loud revealing her concerns.

The wizard standing next to her chuckled politely "The man handling the brush is a wizard", the brunette English didn't look considerably surprised. They were after all are known to acclimatize according to their environment. "And..." he continued while crossing the street "the brush represents his wand."

The previous statement did make Hermione halt for a second before she properly digested the contemporary information "How is that possible Mr. Takakashi?" the witch still enquired trying to perceive everything around her. The wizard she was watching earlier was now faintly moving the brush as if he was painting something, in front of a shop which had a closed sign written both in Japanese and English hanging near the wooden door. The glass door opened, and they entered the store following him.

"Mr. Takakashi where is it, that we are going?" Hermione asked in a strained voice, and she could not understand what they were doing. Inside the store it was lightened up with yellow flame balls, and they were walking with a rapid speed towards a counter or a reception of some sort. The walls and floors were made of wood, finely intricated and burnished.

"Hermione -san we are going to hire a cloud petrel from here," at her befuddled look he supplied "We cannot apparate to the school grounds, no floo connections there", he was walking ahead of her while obstinately maintaining a intense eye on their surrounding.

The wizard they had followed was already standing in a queue for the petrel , she supposed. We better not be late, she thought while trying to calculate the time it would take for them to reach the lady in the counter. "We don't have to wait Hermione-san," Akihito whispered tenderly reassuring her. Astonishingly they didn't have to stand in the queue. She anxiously followed her friend directly to the witch who was supplying some sort of tokens in exchange of a few Ryo coins, as explained by her Japanese companion later. He showed her his official badge and an authentic document written in Japanese most probably from the local Ministry of Magic.

After the witch properly had checked the document and gave them a go, they started walking towards the stand by cloud pelters, all in white these were magically created to look like clouds. "These are a divine miracle of alchemy Hermione-san", Akihito winked at the gaping witch. He presented the token provided by the witch in the counter to another wizard who was sitting close to the pelters to be released.

The wizard immediately stood up as he perceived them approaching "Akihito-san", he made a light bow and both Hermione and her friend followed. "We are going for a brief trip to Mahoutokoro", Mr. Takakashi supplied to the official before causing a swish with his brush which she hadn't noticed and was sitting on the cloud pelter in no time, while Hermione levitated herself there.

* * *

 **Now,**

The enormous gates were fiercely protected by two enchanted Samurai statues, which needed to be bowed at before walking inside and this was where Hermione noted the real use of these paint brush wands. Her friend handled the brush to produce some Japanese characters on the air which appeared on a sort of floating ribbon and flew towards the castle. After a while the castle gates opened, and they were allowed to walk in.

Just like she had heard from her colleague, the students in the courtyard close to the palace gates were practising Herbology and Flower decoration of Magical Orchids. "These are implemented to prepare perfumes which retain the strength for a lifetime," Akihito respectfully informed her while swiftly walking through the mutton-fat jade floor. Once they were close to the principal doors, the wizard halted and turned to face her with a sheepish smile "May I Hermione-san?" he asked for her hand. The witch meanwhile was so engrossed in awing over the magic there, that she didn't comprehend for a few seconds what

Mr Takakashi was asking for. "Hermione-san your hand," he inquired again more prominently this time.

"Right," her cheeks turned red out of embarrassment and placed her hand on his. They were standing outside the Headmaster's office in no time, this she understood because the book written by one of the gifted Hogwarts' students who visited Mahaoutokoro mentioned that the walls there were designed with purple orchids and magical ivy and a _yurei_ in the shape of an attractive woman could be seen roaming aimlessly through partitions very much like Hogwarts ghosts, except this one asked riddles which if solved incorrectly would lead them to be cursed by her for countless generations to get literally setting up deals with her. The deals were drawn in such a way that the witch or wizard normally lost and were cursed in turn.

As soon as the _Yurei_ observed them, it floated towards them. A silvery wispy figure of a woman wearing Kimono and traditional Japanese jewellery. Hermione immediately turned on the translating spell that she had learnt from her wards, before the ghost could ask any question.

The translator charm worked wonders for her, just as the _yurei_ started speaking in Japanese, the little brunette witch could overhear everything in fluent English. "What is it that having the ability to run in any direction without your emotional control", the wicked witch spoke while tracing a crooked finger down Akihito's chin. "Answer fast," she demanded impatiently.

"Thoughts", Hermione answered for him "we do not have much control over them." The _Yurei_ sniggered at her, totally livid that she could not enumerate another pair to her list of cursed humans, "You may go now."

"Thanks a lot Hermione-san", her friend believed still shaken from the previous experience. "I'm not really good at answering these, even during school I would bring a friend or two for these visits."

Hermione wanted to ask if anyone ever got cursed, but before the words could leave her lips, the door to the headmasters chamber slid open and they stepped in. The huge chamber looked like straight out of a Japanese folklore the jade walls contained designs of pink cherry blossoms, a wooden ceiling and windows covering the Eastern part of the wall. Portraits of the previous headmasters were hung in the wall. One-third of his office wall was adequately covered with book shelves , a crystal ball stood on his desk. In the centre of the room was hanging an ornately designed kettle, held above a light blue flame which was suspended mid-air. "Welcome to Mahoutokoro, Hermione-san", the grand wizard who looked not considerably older than Akihito smiled. "How are you faring so far in Nihon (Japan)?"

"Much better than I had earnestly hoped", she bestowed a confident smile "Thanks to here," she said wistfully pointing towards her friend.

"That's great considering your business and lack of time. I hope you can accept a cup of Saake (Japanese tea)", he levitated the kettle unhooking it and poured three cups of sake. They moved towards the section where a table was sat, and surrounding it were cushions. Both wizards sat on the cushions, Hermione followed suit.

It took them almost 15 minutes to drink their beverages and the witch noticed that both wizards looked at peace during this activity. To quench her thirst further she set her eyes outside the balcony and noticed branches of cherry blossom sticking out through the upper circle. At the far end of the room a large looking mirror stood, much like the mirror of Erised.  
"the glass you are looking at acts like a portal, we don't have floo connections here in Japan," Headmaster Kamasaki adequately explained her. " Just like floo calls, you can use this Matsuyama mirror to contact anyone here in the wizarding world." He stood up, walked towards the mirror "Besides the younger generation are more attuned towards cell phones, unlike us old traditionalist", he grinned.

"Cell phones are handier than mirrors, Kamasaki-san", Akihito countered in gallant defence. He too was walking in the direction of the mirror now. "Come on Hermione-san, we don't want you to be late", he advised her politely.

She was puzzled as to where they were going once more, turning to look at the headmaster " Hermione – san don't worry, you will be whisked to a place where the convincing answers to your question lie," she heard him assure before Akihito snatched her nervous hand and they were both sucked by it.

* * *

 **Japanese Ministry of Magic**

 **Kinkakujicho, Kita Ward, Kyoto**

After what seemed like seconds they made a clear landing in the forest near a shrine, thanks to Hermione's friend Akihito who got the premonition that she would be unable to be steady for a while. He held the witch straight in both the arms encircling her on the way. "Why did you pull me out of Mahoutokoro…. I didn't even get looking at the library?"the disgruntled witch complained. Eagerly taking in her surrounding cautiously she asked anxiously "Where are we now?"

Akihito was staring thoughtfully at the little witch beside him in genuine amusement "Hermione-san would you calm down. Do you know that the Japanese Wizarding Community, unlike others, are local practitioners of mind control charms?"he asked her. Not waiting for her to acknowledge the question he replied " it is similar to legilimency, but we exercise powers of divination as well which makes this charm even stronger."

"You mean to say that the headmaster projected his thoughts to your head," she deciphered, now much more peaceful and understanding.

"He knew immediately you wanted information regarding the time travelling device. To answer promptly your second question we are visiting the Ministry now," her jaws were open because she hadn't really revealed her political reasons for the International Official Travel and could barely feel Mr. Takakashi penetrating her conscious mind.

"See it doesn't work like legilimency," he said voicing her words and improved a brisker pace towards their destination, the witch trailing him behind. "And I cannot constantly pick your thoughts only the ones which are worrying you a lot."

Once they were out of the forest and closing in towards the clearing he asked her if she would like visiting the shrine first and then the Ministry or go directly to her destination.

"Do I gain options?" the brunette witch asked playfully, trying not to let her jaws open staring at the enormous shrine shining like dazzling gold in front of them.

"Naturally you have, see", he informed her pointing towards the courtyard " the muggles are however not here, it is the afternoon break, so we can of course go to the ministry and then come back downstairs."

"What are these iconic statues called?" Hermione requested her friend, pointing out to two huge lion like sculptures, while walking down the road towards the front. They looked like official guardians of the shrine. Pearly white in colour they looked magnificent.

"They are Komainu, who protect the Ministry and Shrine much like your statues and suits of armour of Hogwarts", he informed her keeping an eye on their surrounding, when he was sure no muggles were around them, Akihito continued "did you know Hermione-san that only the first three levels of the temple are visible to the muggles and the rest eight are conceiled, specially considering the department of mysteries makes up one floor in the basement."

Hermione's eyes brightened as she processed the new information, "What about..?" she was in the verge of asking a new question when her cell phone started ringing, she pulled it out to find that her reminder notification was what making the noise. What was she forgetting, the witch clicked the notification and found her impending weekly visit to her wards? "I wish time would graciously permit me to move slowly, but Akihito as the situation presents itself, we will undoubtedly have to transport directly to the Department of Mysteries," she said, her lips pressed into a thin line.

He probably nodded understanding the situation, "Alright," he said with the gracious smile which at present seems to possess eternal place on his face. Immediately she could feel the uncomfortable pull of an apparition.

The next instant she was standing in front of a door which read Department of Mysteries in a Bronze plaque. A door separating her from the chambers of the department.

"Hermione- san this is where I depart from you," Akihito said pointing towards the _Shoji (separator)_ made of Japanese Cedar.

"I sincerely hope we greet each other soon," he solemnly shook hands with her.

Hermione was excited and sad at the same time for not being able to properly bask in the glory of the shrine, "Having such less time for an international visit is highly in justifiable, but I am really thankful to you for your co-operation. Will give you a call as soon as I reach England," she hugged the vaguely uncomfortable wizard.

With a pleasant nod and that signature infectious smile he was instantly out of sight. This is when Hermione decided to step in and set about the authentic work.


	4. Apprehension in the Air

**Apprehension in the Air**

* * *

 **Surprise, Surprise two updates in a single day. Finally we get to see Draco again, I was missing the wizard a lot. I don't know if Hermione's character sketch is up to the mark, but I tried to put her mother as a concerning one. They have missed a lot from her life and lady Granger is surely trying to make up for the time. Besides having her daughter back from the a gory situation as the war, did make both her parents as bit over protective.**

 **I am done with the blabbering now and yes none of the characters are mine, they all belong to J.K. Rowlings.**

* * *

 **Hermione's Flat**

 **Muggle London**

 **24 February 2005**

 **19:00 hours**

Sceptical!

The distinctive feature naturally comes to being an auror for a long time. Besides, if your best friend after returning from her international trip owls you for an immediate visit, anyone would turn anxious. He was worried about her, even though the previous day the wizard asked his redhaired friend not to be worried.

Harry Potter was slightly paranoid, what with all the witches gone missing recently and all the evidences leading to a dead end. The wizard knew he shouldn't let his fears cloud his judgement, but right now he couldn't think of a happy news that Hermione would want to give him and specially in a situation where Ron wasn't invited. The wizard took few drops of calming draught that he routinely kept in his workplace to let meetings run smoothly and not make a fool of himself. The draught slowly started affecting him, so without wasting any more time he walked to the fire place, collected some floo powder from the pot and clearly pronounced Hermione's address before vanishing behind green flames.

Journey via floo was never one of his preferred modes, but it made up for the time he would have lost by travelling through Knight bus or flying there. While dusting off the soot and trying to adjust his never fixable hair, he noticed she was sitting on her sofa staring at him, but the usual smile on her face hadn't made its place there yet.

"How was your international adventure, with Mr. dainty Japanese?" Harry wiggled his brows, trying to lighten up her sombre expression.

"He wasn't dainty at all, if you must know," she sniffed, shifting in her old but well maintained sofa making space for her best friend. Hermione Granger's living space was anything but organized, and much to his dismay reflected her distinct personality very much. The living room where they were sitting currently was pictured in a shade of sunlight golden, two collections of book shelves pile up one of the walls, her meagre furnitures like cabinets and the sofa set filled up rest of the room. It was tiny yet spacious, she hadn't enlarged it magically, though. It was all her mother's interior furnishing skills, she had informed him and Ginny when they first visited her flat.

Harry was quiet for a while suppressing his inner anxiety, but when she didn't seem to open up at all he began "Something's bothering you...and don't give me that look," he said while she was trying cutting him off. "Hermione, you never send me urgent owls otherwise," the wizard stated.

"What were you feeling like, while walking towards the forbidden forest during the battle of Hogwarts, with an elucidation that you would probably get slaughtered?" she asked him, eyes still glued at her fireplace. "Were you frightened Harry?"

"Unperturbed at all," he answered with an air of cheekiness, "Ouch.. what was that for?" Harry retorted after he was hit with a stuffed cushion.

"Harry that was serious", the witch chided him and crossed her arms across her chest.

The boy -who-lived didn't understand where this was coming from, but it did intrigue him. She was in a critical situation or would presumably be if he couldn't steer her away from the source of self-destruction. "Is it intimately related to your necessary travel Hermione?... Someone or something you saw there?" he asked her now , his voice filled with concern.

As an unspeakable she could not tell him anything related to her work, besides he was an auror. The number of international rules that she had to work through for this extensive research could never be mentioned in front of Harry Potter; once a rule breaker, now surprisingly a stickler for all the regulations. The wizard would wouldn't even spare his best friend if she didn't follow the laws properly.

Hermione would have to prepare them for the upcoming events though; "Answer my question first Harry," she said resisting her arms across her chest.

"I was reminding myself that it was...err all for the greater good. To scour our world of all the darkness, so that if not me, the younger ones can enjoy a better life", the head auror sitting beside her answered softly.

He was staring at her now, evidently waiting for the witch to open up "Sustainability for the next generation is important Harry remember that," she said, "Please believe in me whenever I take a decision, never let rumours cloud your conscious thoughts and most importantly don't make fundamental assumptions without facts".

Harry scrunched his face in confusion, he could not even guess what she was going through. She might have been his best friend, but as a worker for the Department of Mystery the witch could never tell him her well-kept secrets, for now he would only rely on the fact that she would be safe. He naturally had complete faith on her wand using abilities, besides he would keep an eye on her. Probably Kreacher could do that for him, his face contorted into a grin but he soon composed himself.

"Would you like some tea?" she queried Harry escorting the wizard out of his reverie. She was now walking towards her kitchen, expecting him to follow towards the table in the dining room.

Life astonished him a lot right from the year he started school in Hogwarts, but the radical change of behaviour in his most best friend, shocked him the most. Yes, she might not be her chirpy old-self from school , but Hermione was much better working for the Department of Control of Magical Creatures and their Rights. Now though , the witch looked like a shell of her old self.

Yes, she did get thrilled in every chance to learn better about the magical world around the Globe, but a lot more secretive. Even Ron's genuine antiques cannot bring back the glow of her face.

"Harry, do you know the statute of secrecy is much loosely followed in Japan? The muggles are very much aware of the magical world, though they do not know of the exact location. Moreover there is no biasness on blood…", she kept rambling on dealing with her visit to the Japanese school and Ministry but lingered fondly on the periphery, prominently mentioning nothing about the crux of the matter. She had turned on the heating charm, and their tea was ready in no time. .

The boy-who lived immediately understood where this was going, he knew Hermione was trying to convert the subject. After working diligently on a tiring case for hours without much food and sleep didn't give him much space to argue with her, so he instantly followed her lead instead.

They had adequately maintained civil conversation on random topics until she asked him about the recent case and its development. Harry politely told her about Ron and how they finally mended their lifelong friendship.

"Boys," she merely tossed back her head smiling gently "I knew it was only a matter of time."  
When her raven-haired friend was succeeded briefing her about

The case of missing pureblood women, Hermione thought she had an inkling or a hint, in particular which might be helpful for her companion. "Harry, I think this one is related to a case we solved together few years back…"she said while levitating the tea cups and saucer towards the sink.

The furrow in his eye brows was enough to explain her that the specific incident was out of his mind. "The one about dragons destroying villages," she subtly reminded him and with a flick of her wand the tea cups were getting themselves washed.

"But that was a mob and raiding case, people were killed not kidnapped," Harry insisted while combing the wand hand across his unsteady hair. "There is no way..it could be related."

"What if they are?" the witch pressed softly. She appreciated her friend consistently saw into the big picture but missed little details "More than half of the population killed there, were females."

"They consist of a complex mixture Hermione, a lot typically involving pure-bloods, half-bloods and muggle-borns," the boy-who-lived couldn't conceive how all of it could be put together.

"Didn't you think getting to the group of convicts was considerably easier, ..I mean properly considering the way they concocted their crime," she said," I solely believe there might be a possibility that these people, who are really behind it thought that killing the fertile females would invariably get their job performed. But more belatedly discovered that the potential lies behind pure- bloods?"

"You sincerely mean to say we should start investigating the origins of the convicts from the former case?" Harry grasped her point of view.

"Yes, that would be it."

"Their memories might have been altered," he insinuated while rubbing his horn rimmed glasses which no longer were cracked. "Umm but I think we can revisit the specific locations,…. could you ask Padma to support us with that?" he grinned sheepishly.

"Owled her the first thing," the witch said her expression still stoic , may be if he could persuade her to change the department she would…his constructive thinking stopped mid-way. It was Hermione for the sake of Merlin who would never halt her research, even if it slayed her.

"Harry! …Harry? "she called out his name a bit louder to catch her best friend's attention. He seemed naturally to zone out a lot these days. " How is Ginny doing?"

"Merlin!" the look of unspeakable horror on the wizard's face told her he had missed something really important. "Today I was about to prepare private dinner for her,.. you know something unique for the recent award she received," the wizard ranted. "It is only temporary, though", he said after he saw the brunette witch glare "was planning to take the family out for a holiday in Wales."

Hermione's expression softened at that, her boys had really grown up "Why don't you rush then,.. dinner will not cook itself, and both of us are familiar with your wife's hexing skills", she chuckled.

"Yeah, right", with that being said, he stood up from his place walking towards the floo

"Goodnight Hermione."

"Good night Harry," but it went blank as the person had already flooed himself out.

She next went to her bedroom and was prepared to devote the last waking hours of tonight to review a new book on magical creatures. The witch had bought a few during her visit to Flourish & Botts the previous Sunday. Her fingers were still lingering on the spines of a book when she heard a faint sound "Merlin, not again," she muttered in an exasperated voice and rushed to receive the phone call.

It was her landline ringing, which didn't have a caller id so she didn't really know who was calling her at his time of the night "Hello?"

From the other side a familiar tone could be heard "Mum, what is it now? "she cringed inwardly. Her mother had turned into one of those over concerning ladies who needed to be called twice in a day regularly.

"Young lady, I think we taught you better than that." her mother chided.

Hermione knew this conversation would get her now where close to reading the novel if she didn't take a very polite stance, so she decided to comply with Mrs. Grangers worried concerns regarding her daughter "Why did you say, you called again?" she asked her mother to stop the older woman's rant regarding her education.

"I genuinely wanted to know how you were doing and since your mobile phone is switched off … thought something must have happened," her mother spoke softer than her usual tone.

"Mum I am sorry, I forget that it needs to get charged, besides...I will..." Hermione stopped mid-sentence as she heard her dad poking Mrs. Granger ."What is it? What are you not voicing mum? "she inquired now worried about them. Something she hadn't suffered for a long time.

("Let me speak to her.") , she could hear her father gently taking hold of the phone

"Angel your mother, she is trying to be clandestine about the matter…we..uh received a phone call today from someone called… err Mrs. Malfoy, right Malfoy that was the family name. She dearly wanted to know about your precise whereabouts , ..we said you are away for official business. The lady then thanked and asked if I am the guardian, when replied in affirmation, she started enthusiastically praising us and singing songs of your personal valour in the war you said allegedly happened between Harry and Dark Wizard," Warren Granger paused for a while probably from the over exertion of reflecting frequently and the mental pressure he undoubtedly received from Narcissa.

"Dad...", Hermione was about to develop "Angel I'm not done yet, the name kept ringing on my head when I was prompted of you telling me the other day concerning Malfoy Manor and how you are their probationary officer. She my dear… seems to know her goal much better than you and in a way I suppose she is attempting to no Elinore let me speak, "he cut her mother off in the background" this woman is trying to manipulate you, I can never believe that the people who once thought us as dirt would try to make sweet talk with us. Angel I am certain they require something from you. Be careful okay," he advised her.

"Honey your father is turning a blind eye to the considerable number of judicial punishments you said they received," her mother said, she had probably snatched the phone from him " But yes try not to be too open, I know you think logically; but your gracious kindness typically precedes your logic. Use your cunning dear, the one you employed against some Cormac during the try-outs of your wizarding game and may be…the Edgecomb girl".

"Muumm…" she was shocked, how did her mother know about that.

"Harry told me when he was here with Ginny on your last birthday", Hermione could hear her mother grinning.

"You might be the witch dear, but I am your mummy." Both women were laughing gaily at this point.

"I will be careful mum. From what I have perceived the Malfoys sure want something from me, but if I deliver them something that constitutes the world into a better place, I won't hesitate mum," she said softly.

Mrs. Granger sighed "My dear don't be so self-sacrificing, we don't want to depart from you again."

"You wont I promise you that and would you like some magical toothpaste," she urged her mother. "It cleans super fast , mostly herbs … what do you say?"

"Bring it over , we will see, and…", she didn't complete the sentence " Warren ..what ….no cooking for you"? the phone must have been hanged on, as she couldn't hear anything except hushed sound.

"Good might mum," she chuckled gleefully, hanging up. Her mother would be dearly upset by this behaviour, but Hermione had a new book to read after all.

* * *

 **An Abandoned apartment**

 **Near Ministry, USA**

 **11:00am**

Macabre!  
The highly insulated, dark and spacious hall gave an eerie feeling. When he knew what lay inside and how the wizard would regard his newly retrieved friends Draco Malfoy didn't genuinely care. As to the legal owner of the building, it was his, so he could use it any way he wanted to. His job as the American Minister of Magic's undersecretary added to his business of Security and Potions provided him enough to own huge properties like these in the New continent.

Yes, he was reformed, an ex-death eater who took the mark only to make his father proud and save his parents from the Dark Lord's ire. But the blond wizard still possessed the love for dark arts as every other family member. Practising assiduously, that however would prosecute him as a small-time criminal, what he performed mostly as the chief of Security for the Ministry was convenient enough to use the spells on his preferred clients. These were notable people who designed brilliant plans to throw the Minister or assassinate him.

Draco Malfoy didn't contain an ounce of profound respect for the Minister, as the old coot bore nothing better to do then plot against his rivals, no developmental works for the Wizarding community of America; yet the wizard of noble ancestry stayed there to keep a leash on his blood thirst and gain a proper name for himself and slightly for his family.

But his parents ensured that he wouldn't require to do much of it, as they were getting him bonded with that know-it-all, he managed to smile ruefully at that. What a jibe to his ideologies, the girl whom he was taught to eschew as a pigment of his shoes, was now a favourable candidate for him. He knew that once his parents set up their mind on a mission, nobody could stop them ; except may be ..Granger , but he would have to wait for the right moment.

No, he never stopped naturally believing in her to be of low born, much to the considerable discomfort of his ex-fiancé. The wizard did manage to provide his private thoughts to himself though, being an expert Occlumens .

Hermione Granger will consistently be a witch who was not superior to him.

 _She was not born to magic , Draco._

 _She is a filthy mudblood,_ he channelled his younger self, which only helped in rising his ire.

These flow of thoughts had to stop for the time being as he was ready to charge up his mind enough for his newest prey.

"How are you doing today Mr. Walker?" The blond wizard sneered as he _accioed_ a chair and took a seat close to the man who was being levitated at a height of twelve feet from the ground in the empty hall room the building. The old cathedral style windows were all closed, few of them had shattered glasses and the bit of sunlight peeping inside the room was through these faint cracks.

When the man didn't respond to his question, Draco turned to look at his assistant with an accusing stare "Roberts you took the treatment too far today."

The wizard couldn't look at his boss's face which was cold and his grey eyes hard as steel, instead he stared at his shoes.

Wordlessly the undersecretary cast the charm Aguamenti and let cold water douse his convict. The man awoke with a jerk "What the? help me, someone help me, uhm", he couldn't speak anymore as Draco signalled Roberts to stop casting _Wingardium_ _Leviosa_ and the already wounded man fell with a large thud, likely fracturing his bones in the process.

Draco Malfoy could hear loud wailing and screaming hysterically, but that did not provide him evident satisfaction, no. This lowly wizard had tried stopping him, relieving his stress. Christian Walker sincerely wanted to ban the arduous process , the British wizard used to punish assassinators and other political competitors consequently he complained the Minister. This was of course forwarded to the undersecretary which woefully is Draco himself, however for this reason his rage on this Ministry Worker multiplied and he took the final step of teaching the middle-aged wizard, why it was unwise to cross a Malfoy .

"Walker, do you think, you are here because you were trying to cook the books against me?" drawled the fair-haired wizard in a bored voice. ", I already have a list of people you killed, to get to the position of Department Head for Magical Law Enforcement," he said twirling his wand and with a snap silencing the wailing, he could not tolerate it anymore. To some extant he however experienced a panic , something close to the hoarse cries of Granger in the floor of the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. Ensconced idly in the chair, the wizard knew he shouldn't think about her, not during work when he needed to focus on this criminal. So he clearly shook his head and tried to fill in his mind with passionate hatred for this man lying on the gritty floor wailing on his extensive wounds.

"Roberts take him to his cell and make sure to mend his intact bones", he ordered while standing "I would love to sever them again", he grinned like a mad man.

After all this madness, he needed fresh air. Walking back to the Ministry instead of apparating would be best, besides it was only a few possible minutes. When Draco Malfoy was out in the lively street of Broadway, he felt like he could breath again, something was really suffocating him inside the apartment, must be the unmistakable stench. The wizard didn't understand what brought him flashbacks of Hermione Granger, but he sure was apprehensive about meeting her.

Recently, after Astoria's he received an owl from his friend Theodore Nott, asking Draco to go back there, back to England. Theo was his business partner for the Security Agents, but the man was much more important than that in his life. Both wizards were friends since their childhood and the common designation of their death eater fathers helped them grow closer

Indeed, Draco Malfoy was the youngest death eater, but Theo wouldn't be far behind had the dark lord not lost to Saint Potter. His friend was under abysmal scrutiny of the aurors because of the time-travel device he supposedly bought from Borgin and Burkes. The Nott name was again on the verge of being sullied, thanks to Merlin his friend provided the information that Draco was able to bargain from his cousins.

Losing the war didn't really hurt him, in fact it turned out to be a better outcome. Except his family had to confront public anguish, because of the side they supported.

Nevertheless, he learnt from his mother's letter that they were doing much better; specially after this brunette probation officer started working with them. But again she didn't need to confound them, for his beloved mother to be openly supporting house elf rights. The Malfoys worked best where the mighty power resides and currently it lay with this witch who would definitely effect political changes in the Wizarding World.

His thoughts came to a sudden halt as he discovered someone asking for him " Malfoy, here you are," Mrs. Weeks the secretary of the Minister called him while climbing the stairs towards the first storey of the Ministry. "The Minister needed your presence... ..he seems to be in deep thought regarding a certain decree," she said while gasping for steadying breath, she was a stocky, red haired woman, much to his discomfort similar to the Weasleys in her fifties and keeping up with Draco's long strides made her tired.

The blond wizard instantly noticed her struggle and felt pity for the woman, she could be a Hufflepuff in Hogwarts, bought him cookies even when she didn't know who he was after he first joined MACUSA "Madam Weeks, I think my limbs hurt a bit from over exertion," the blond feigned as if his legs were really aching, gently massaging his hamstrings and thankfully she didn't ask any question.

"Let's slow down a bit ," he suggested when they were almost half way through the stairs, otherwise they could have used the elevators.

"Ah Mr. Malfoy please come in," the Minister ushered Draco inside his chambers, once he saw the platinum wizard peek in through a narrow gap between the door and cubicle walls. "Please make yourself comfortable," Robinson said pointing out the chair opposite him, next to his desk.

He was inside the Minister's chamber now, a thick tension could be felt in the air. It was as if a knife could be used to carve it down. Minister Robinson was not exactly an extremely reliable person, much like Cornelius Fudge of Britain. The man was intimidated by ordinary werewolves and would run away in any tangible situation, but the matter today was much more lethal than a speck of sort of uprising.

"Minister you summoned me," the wizard asked, while taking the assigned seat.

"Yes, yes," Minister Robinson said while filling a goblet with Ogden's old he had accioed from the cabinets placed on the right hand side of the wall. "With grave dismay, the news I share to you," he said while taking a sip of the firewhiskey. "You don't mind, do you?" he invited the undersecretary who retained an unreadable expression.  
"No sir, please continue."

"I am certain you are elucidated with the most recent threat in Wizarding America?" the Minister said rhetorically. "The missing witches have not been retrieved back," he placed the goblet on his desk and straightened up. "People might consider me a fool, but with you I was successful. The moment I saw you training for an auror position, my mind had this weird sense that you are much more of a powerful dueller than you showed. A year later when you came to me for approval of your Security Organization, I signed it happily with a knowledge that the head of Security would be my undersecretary as well," the wizard sighed, his shoulders slumping somewhat as he leaned on in his chair.

"The aurors working furiously in this case are precisely incompatible… What don't look at like that, they …uh haven't been able to obtain a significant clue which would undoubtedly lead us to these pureblood witches and its been two fu***ng months", the Minister swore furiously completely inebriated by now.

"Mr. Malfoy as Minister of Magic I commission you to supervise the case. You will be aided properly, if need be you can collaborate with international Ministries as well; because there are rumours of similar happenings in European Wizarding Communities too", with that said he signed a paper and levitated towards his Undersecretary.

"Sir, I will assign my best wizard Roberts to act as your chief Security until the case is resolved peacefully," the blond wizard said while promptly taking the scroll and undergoing the document properly " I am hoping to continue my official position as Undersecretary even during investigation process is going on?" he asked a straightforward.

"Absolutely, Mr Malfoy you may," the Minister replied gulping down the remaining beverage from his goblet. "I might not like your method of eradicating threats to my position, but I believe in your honesty towards your job and Merlin knows, America needs more suitable wizards like you; we haven't had many after Tina Scamander."

"I will be off now Sir. ...Roberts will should be here in a few minutes", Draco bid farewell to the Minister to start on his new case.

While walking to his chamber, he charmed a parchment to send a message to Roberts.

 **Work satisfactorily accomplished,** **wait** **for my subsequent orders.**

As he stepped cautiously inside his chambers, he could not feel more giddy , his plans were finally turning fruitful. _The Minister is really foolish_ , aurors might be incompetent but their dim wit was amplified due to Draco's carefully designed plans.

 _Merlin! not long before I can go back home and show Potter that_ _Malfoys_ _always tend to have their a better range of prowess_ , he smirked thinking about the next few months and how he would enjoy irritating the pants out off the boy-who-lived and perhaps pick some clever arguments with his future bride. Because let's face it Draco couldn't deny that he still loved his parents and they had given him his much needed time. Lucius Malfoy might be under house arrest, but he still had enough influence throughout the Wizarding World to get his son under his roof.

Besides, right from his childhood he had been prepared to marry a pureblood witch of his parents choice. Yes, he got a little attached to Astoria, because of her unprejudiced way of thinking and as she so cleverly put, it was not love. So, it did not matter much to who was his bride.

Moreover, Hermione Granger if his mother's was right- is still an intellectual, kind, curious and…may be attractive young witch, what with the Witch Weekly plying her as the model for their latest cover page. This of course Narcissa Malfoy had owled him last week, inquiring him to read about the most recent Malfoy contributions towards House Elf Organization of the brunette witch. His mother's subtle way of pushing him towards this witch. But the intention of the Senior Malfoy were still inexplicable.


	5. Gossips and Coffee

**Hello everyone, I apologise for not updating throughout the past year and just leaving this story aside. I have had a few changes in my life since then, moved to a different country. Started in a new school. Talking too much myself again 😊. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

Gossips and Coffee

Grimmauld's Place

Saturday, Feb 26, 2005

Aggressive!

One could call Ginny Potter that, but today unfortunately was one of those days when she was enjoying Hermione's discomfort while the latter was sharing titbits about the latest visit to the Manor. Sitting on a chair in the dining room, both the ladies were having a conversation over a cup of tea and lemon tarts.

"I will never understand, how you have come to trust them so much," the red-head pondered while refilling her tea cup. "These are the same people who fought against not many years back."

This is the same dining room which once used to be filled with serious discussions, raucous and laughter of the members from Order of Phoenix, Hermione let her mind reminisce before turning back to answer Ginny's question " To say the truth, when I started working with them, didn't believe that they would change overnight," she sighed " But you know what Gin, they are really trying and they may be some of the best occlumens', I can see it in their faces." She took a sip from her cup "they miss him a lot."

After rummaging the Ministry Archive for hours, going through annals of dark arts books in a faint hope to be able to find any references related to the latest kidnappings, Harry Potter flooed back home only a few minutes before dinner. He could grasp straws of their gossip but rushing upstairs to have a shower seemed to be the best option, lest his wife decides to stop making chocolate treacle tarts for him. It took him more than a few minutes to lather off the grease from dark tomes that seemed to have surrounded him. Once showered he rushed downstairs only to hear the witches lingering on the same topic. In fact, as he neared, he could hear his wife trying to grovel out some form of truth from his best friend.

"You didn't tell me that the Malfoys were interested in meeting your parents?" she queried giving Hermione an incredulous look, "Are they meeting them over dinner?" the red-haired witch asked.

"I didn't know about that plan till mum mentioned it to me a month ago and then this month during their meetings, both Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy have been bringing up the topic rather frequently. There's no clue in my head, what has got up with their unceasing insistence." She sighed while bringing the cup to her lips to take a sip.

"Anyways, I will be out in France next week, Monday", she informed both of them, while Harry pulled a chair out to join the ladies.

"What for?" he asked casually munching on the tarts his wife had prepared.

Hermione rolled her eyes more out of habit "It's Leticia Malfoy's engagement," she said "since she is their only niece and an orphan so Leticia, wanted them to be present for the ceremony", Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"Hermione they are on house arrest…",

"Which would be released coming Wednesday...",

"That would be two days earlier.,"

"My point here," she stated strongly to not let him interrupt "is… Harry, I have already got the permissions from Kingsley…"

Harry Potter let the words slowly sink in, like it was the most obvious thing his friend would do "When?" he asked without any hint of surprise. He knew her well enough by now to know that she could go to any level for the people she loved or considered and unfortunately the Malfoys now fell under that category.

"That's not important here." Hermine clearly did not want him poking his head when it came to her way of work or specifically the Malfoys and Harry had learnt that few years earlier. "I will be there too, besides accompanying us will be two aurors from your department- Ryan Clearwater and Peter McKinnon," Hermione continued

"They are capable ones", Harry felt a surge of relief pass through him.

"So you are going to visit their estate?" Ginny asked, her eyes dancing with enthusiasm.

"Yes, I think the one in Brissac", she informed them dully.

Harry merely nodded, while his wife seemed ready to burst with excitement.

"You know, they have a nephew called …eh Marceau…you should check him out", she said not caring an inch that her husband was an active witness to their conversation.

"Ghosh Ginny," Hermione was not able to stop the blush covering her cheeks. She was not a naïve in the sense of men but the witch still didn't have much assertion to maintain such a conversation in front of her best friend.

"Hermione, I think you will have to visit me on Monday once before leaving", Harry tried to change their mode of conversation, saving the brunette witch from the strong clutches of his wife. "You know the usual paper work regarding the travel business. Also, you need to be acquainted with McKinnon and Clearwater before leaving ".

"Yes, I was totally planning on doing that," Hermione felt overjoyed at not having to deal with Ginny's incessant questions anymore.

In a little while they had been joined by the youngest member of their family, James Potter who now had a toy broom in his hands and mini figurines of the Chudley Cannons which were charmed to play like real quidditch players.

While father and son were busy playing in the dining room, Ginny had pulled the other witch to their kitchen to help her with dinner arrangements.

Hermione was halfway in marinating the chicken breast piece when her friend observed "You know you have closed way more, after your return from Japan", Hermione wasn't surprised that her best friend had informed his wife of her visit , but she was at an impasse of how much information could be passed on without forsaking her vow.

"The people with whom we have to spend the rest of our lives with, are not always who we imagined them to be," she said thoughtfully.

"Wait, you are getting tied to someone whom you know, but you never thought he would be the one..?" the red head asked readying the apple pie for dessert.

"Yes, kind of. You know I can't speak of it because of the vow", she quickly added with a pleading voice , so that her friend would stop asking her anymore questions on that topic.

"Well alright, do you know Ron proposed Padma last week and they are getting hitched next month", she almost squealed happy for her friend.

"But they were engaged for only a short while," Hermione pointed out. Apparently, it didn't matter much to Ginny as she was perfectly overjoyed and wanted her annoying brother who still seemed to pin after the brunette witch at times to get married as soon as possible. This would be consequently helpful for both her husband and his best friend.

Hermione though thought that Ron no longer harboured romantic feelings for her. She had made sure of that before he got engaged to her friend.

"You know Angelina still thinks that George doesn't love her", Ginny sighed while preparing the dinner table.

"That's totally idiotic of her, why doesn't she talk to her husband about her feelings", Hermione said while pulling out the chicken roast from the oven.

Ginny levitated the dishes properly and then the plates. "That's the problem, is it not?" she turned to look at her friend trying to assert an ambiguous thought, which Hermione knew would totally lead to a discussion about her and Ron's break up "if she would have spoken to my brother about it no matter how much of a prankster he is; he would take her seriously."

"You are right Gin", Hermione walked up to the dining room to see Harry teaching James about the latest rules of quidditch. A smile slowly crept up her lips, her best friend had always wanted a family of his and finally he had received that.

She wanted one too, but didn't want to think about her future anymore.

While Hermione fixed the plates, Ginny dressed the dishes. Harry magically removed all of the figurines and placed them back in the toy box.

"Ron is working with us in the case", Hermione knew what he was talking about, but she had bigger issues to deal with like going to France with the Malfoys.

"I think it would do great for both of you to work together again," she said while helping herself with some chicken roast.

"Daddy could you pass me the spinach please?" James asked his father drinking pumpkin juice from his goblet merrily. "Aunt Mione did you know we will watch a movie tomorrow".

"Are you excited about it?" Hermione asked with a smile lingering in her lips.

"He is quite taken with the idea of being with muggles, especially after Dudley took him to the theatre last weekend", Ginny supplied smiling proudly at her son.

"Is he now, I think that's wonderful," the brunette witch replied.

"Hermione why don't you ask Ron to travel with you on Wednesday ", Harry spoke slowly trying to gauge her reaction, when it came to his other best friend. The wizard hoped she wouldn't burst out now.

"I am not some Pansy; Harry," she regarded him coolly while slicing down a little mince, "besides two of your best aurors would be with me;" that being said she reiterated the chewing process meticulously.

The raven-haired wizard would have added a point or more as to why she shouldn't be travelling without him or Ron but the whoosh and roar of floo flames coming from the other room whisked his attention. He was up in seconds "Let me go check whoever it is".

Sometimes later the two witches didn't even twitch their brows at the reverberating guffaw which would be very much appreciated at a place like hog's head.

After a while, Ron and Harry were seated next to each other just like they used to during their days at Hogwarts passing salad, pies and roasts. The scenery couldn't have been better showing a happy family with their friends. Yet the tension clandestine between the friends was very much existent.

* * *

Mountbazon, France

Barthelemi wanted to consider himself fair when it came to spending for parties. Yes, the Malfoy parties held a certain level of awe throughout the world. But this was not any other event, it is going to be the first of engagements in the next generation. Leticia would be engaged to a German wizard. Though the boy didn't come from a family as noble as theirs, he is contemporarily the best bone healer in Europe and that in the modern times is something accountable. Moreover, if his spies got it correct this time; a certain War heroine would be attending the event along with their English family members. He absolutely had a lot to plan.

Taking the last few steps to the left he opened the doors to find his son, completely immersed with the grand piano, practicing key notes for his upcoming concert. The older wizard stood mesmerized at the door , how expertly did Marceau play 'A cauldron full of hot , strong love'.Yes, the younger wizard might be a fool-hardy at times, but his piano skills exceeded that of any other wizard. In fact, the note that he just played might even be better than Celestina Werbeck.

The wizard took the few steps necessary to reach the pianoforte and tapped Marceau's back. Instantly, the wonderful melody stopped and his son turned around "Pére?" he said confusion etched in his face.

"There is good news for us mon fils (my son) ," Barthelemi Malfoy smirked. "Your cousin is about to lose a cher (expensive) deal and you my dear garcon will make that happen."

Marceau stood up from the stool, totally baffled at his father's words but let the elder wizard continue "You are going to lure a witch ….".

"Père you know, I am above petty seduction …" his son counteracted.

"to be your bride…"

"But I don't even know her, nor do I have enough time. Besides I have a concert to attend starting tomorrow." He was trying to let his father see reason.

"You will make time mon fils , we cannot let that son of Lucius' always have the best. Besides she is a witch of admirable quality," he then conjured a magazine "ici," handing it over to his son Barthelemi asked the young wizard to have a look at the latest article they printed about her, "Go through this". Allowing his son few moments, he chose to get a good view of their meadows from the vine intertwined balcony.

Standing there at the circle, the old wizard noticed how his son stared at her photograph for more than 10 seconds. An evidence that he was taken by her beauty, because Marceau Malfoy never glanced at a witch for more than a second.

"Père", Marceau called out "she is English and a muggle-born", he exclaimed after a quick review of the article.

"I know, but we French don't pride our belief in liberty for nothing", he retorted. "Anyways I don't want Lucius and his death eater family to win anymore", Barthelemi stated with a look of vengeance in his eyes. "We already lost the estate of Brissac to the twins, because of his cur of a son".

"I won't let you be disappointed anymore", his son answered softly.

Marceau might be frosty, detached and cunning at times, but he was not his father. The old man had a different agenda altogether, he wanted to use the witch's intelligence for further endeavors.

The younger wizard though is curious, he wants to know what was it about her that attracted him. There's another issue which he would like to be informed about- Why would a muggle hater like Lucius Malfoy, wants Hermione Granger to be a part of his family?

* * *

Somewhere in France

Hospital for Magical Community

Albrecht wasn't sure if he was ready to get married at such a young age. Yes, he and Leticia were committed to each other and for even a 100 million galleons, he wouldn't ditch her for someone else. But this was all too soon for him. He needed some more time to his bachelorhood, enjoy life to the fullest. Hell, even her cousins were all unmarried and probably would be the same for a few more years. But the mission compelled him to take lots of actions much earlier than he originally planned. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he immediately thought wallowing in his misery wouldn't help, so he stood straight, stretched his arms and walked ahead in search of his would-be brother-in-law.

Strolling halfway through the neurology and cardiac section did he find the man-child half asleep on his desk, eye lids about to shut down. It was sardonically hysterical, here he was just another wizard resting; while Albrecht had seemed to have lost his sleep completely.

 _No, it will not do_ , he shook his head. He checked his watch and realized, still had time to kill before the rounds began.

Without wasting anytime, he apparated to where he knew the circular apartment was hidden, "The Den" as they called it.

Strolling through the place gave him the most pleasure when he is high with rage. Other days, he simply felt the chill run down through his back bone, the sight explained what they had to do to make things right. Yes, his friends didn't want people dying; so, they took control – infused magic with technology and won at the end.

Though this has been going on for more than a year, yet to him it felt like his initiation took place yesterday when he was summoned by his uncle. Thinking about the older wizard brought a wry smile on his lips. The wizard himself stood amidst all the equipment and ingredients, next to portraits of his ancestors.

"What is it disturbing you today, my dear nephew?" the wizard asked in a cold condescending tone that would be used while breaking prisoners of war.

"Nothing, important," he tried waving the feeling of nausea, but a glare from the dead wizard made him open up. "I don't want to get hooked so early".

The other wizard made a sound quite close to guttural suffocation "Ah so it's about your upcoming nuptials", he said the words slowly trying to absorb the essence out of it. His uncle had a way about himself, turning things bleary even if they were not. Albrecht supposed it was the magic around him, sucked up all the happiness like a black hole.

"You were supposed to deliver the package today", the older wizard informed him, now walking towards a chopping table which has its many uses. "We are late already".

"I know uncle and believe me, it would have been done had it not for the engagement," he sneered acting disinterested, yet this was the only place which seemed to pique his interest. The fire inside him blazed. Albrecht the younger wizard would have been terrorized by his actions and feelings, but this new version of him wanted to cure muggles badly and that had to be done in the best way possible.

"Time is most element now, which I have no control over nephew. So, you better hurry," and with a swish and flick of his wrist the chopping platter was ready, a new item was being levitated which after careful flaying, breaking and regrowth; was ready to be used. "Be good boy and wrap it up for me, alright" the dark-haired wizard patted his shoulder smoothly, leaving no room for objection.

The younger wizard immediately set on scourgifying the desk and arranging the packages separately in an array. His uncle had really made a mess of the things, thank Jesus the slaughtering took place earlier. Even though blood trickling down his enemies gave him a rush of adrenaline, witnessing live skinning was something he detested.

He segregated the different articles and abstracted the blood using a liquid separator charm. He performed the spells in an immaculately. Though he wore a white button shirt and his lab coat, not a single stain was visible. The chamber was giving of a whiff of clinical room which had been cleaned recently. The older wizard mustn't get any ideas about the delivery of the red fluid, that would complicate issues for them. Until now he has been able to hide the fact regarding Emilé's girlfriend. Even Leticia is unaware of the fact, that the girl has turned into a blood sucking creature.

Nonetheless, he couldn't waste much time here. Albrecht soon concealed the blood pouches into similar looking articles with the other and placed a tracking charm on each. His uncle had found this shack of a building, years ago when he was still an intern. The older wizard didn't trust anyone much, hence the people can only apparate in and not out of this place.

To help ease matters, he would be out passing the exit gate which has a security check and once he was cleared of everything Albrecht could apparate back to the hospital. He even had one of the guards bribed, so that he could involve the other guard in a conversation while the other wizard could levitate two or three stocks out which contained blood pouches.

Once, he was out there near the entrance his luck gave out. From a corner he could see that the wizard whom he had enticed was probably on a leave and instead of the familiar face that greeted him, it was the other wizard and a new employee. He knew he had to get these containers to the other side of the magically enchanted gate without any sort of damage. Before any of the wizard could understand what, he was doing, he stunned one of them and by the time the other wizard could take any action he was stunned as well. He quickly apparated to his flat and placed the lot in his safe before apparating back.

There he obliviated a selected portion of the memory from the guards and planted a false one. So that once his uncle went through their memories, he wouldn't feel an Avada behind his back.

* * *

Townhouse

Paris, France

Leticia was never riled up. But this engagement brought out serious issues for both her and Albrecht. She could feel the magic cackling around her, a disturbed aura due to the tension.

"Stop with this chaotic insurgence right now", casually leaning on the attic door Emilé looked totally unimpressed by her behaviour.

They were twins after all and she was older than him by only a few minutes, but that didn't mean he would be intimidated. The wizard loved her to the moon and back, but no ridiculousness from his soeur (sister) would be tolerated.

"Frére (sister)?" the witch looked up at him from her sprawled position on the floor. She looked very unlady-like at the moment, with her mousy blonde hair untied and most of it covered her face. "Am I doing it right?"

Emile was staring right at those greyish eyes with blue flakes, "I can't tell you if it is vrai ou foux (right or crazy), he said with a wry smile. Tying her hair with a flick of his wand, while his sister teased with the idea of getting married. He knew she was drunk, to the hilt and didn't even care of her pureblood manners.

He sat beside her taking a good look of the room. Chairs were upturned a cupboard half way broken, clothes strewn, if he didn't know his sister any better, he would think she was a lunatic. The soft sound of pages being shuffled brought his focus back to the album, that Leticia was watching.

"Sometimes, I forget how mother looked like", she spoke softly "this has been very instrumental during the process of becoming a Malfoy lady", something seemed to be breaking inside him.

The wizard wondered how tough it was for her to adjust with their grandmother, who always blamed her for their parent's death. "You would be happy with him", he said a lazy smile covering his face.

"I know, it's just that he seems to be absent … I mean, can't understand him and his German ways properly", she chuckled.

"At least he doesn't force you to be punctual", Emile laughed out genuinely after a long time.

"Hahaha…. I am his queen after all", she said faking a boast.

She suddenly stood up and started walking "Cia where you going?" he was trying his best to run after her, she was in a full-fledged running mode. Maybe she's a bit insane.

Once she stopped, Leticia gave him an irritated smile "I must find the other photo album of us and aunt Cissy."

"Cia, WAIT," he almost screamed at the top of his lungs "I mean why would you need it now and can you not accio it?"

"I can , but I would obviously forgot where it is and I do not want all trunks and cases tumbling downstairs" she said enthusiastically and then suddenly her shoulders dropped " you know we could start with your room and I could check the cupboards placed in the passage leading to our kitchen," she suggested.

"Not the cupboard",

"Why"?

He closed their distance and placed his fingers below her chin lifting it up "because my sweet soeur, I know that the ghoul still resides in those cupboards. I will do it for you."

"Alright", she smiled "I still want to be there.

"Why do we not search my room first", he called behind while taking the steps towards his room.

"Wait outside unless you want to see a muddled-up war zone, which is my room," she giggled trying to remember what it used to be when both of them were not even teens.

Leticia waited outside while he seemed to be fixing his frenzied accessories, from the window there she could see the moonlight slowly peeking through the curtains. It must have been a full moon night, suddenly reminding her of another meeting that had been set for tonight.

As if her thoughts echoed through the wall, someone apparated beside her "Mademoiselle Leticia, Madame Fleur Weasley is here to meet you", their chief butler Anna said meekly adding a curtesy. The young heiress didn't really favour the old customs but for the sake of society and her family she went with it.

She gave the older witch a tight-lipped smile and nodded "Could you please arrange her a cup of tea and croissants."

"Oui mademoiselle", the witch apparated immediately ready to please her mistress.

Her brother was taking forever to clear his room, god knows how he managed to sleep there if it was so unfurling as it sounded with the loud cranks and bonks. She knocked at the door louder than necessary to get his attention "Frere? Frere?"

A distant sound something like a "What?" could be heard faintly through the door. He must be pulling out new furnitures in the room otherwise it was not likely to take such a long time.

She lifted her wand and pointed it to her throat to charm with the sonorous spell, but dropped the idea immediately, smiling at her drunken stupidity. This would only create confusion with her maids and guest waiting downstairs. "Do you think your search for the album will be done tonight?" she almost screamed, to remind him of her presence.

"Almost done," he walked out, hair ruffled and shirt with stains. "There is nothing there soeur, why do we not search the cupboards now?"

She simply shook her head "you might have to do it alone; I have a guest to entertain."

"Oh non, well I can pull it out and let Agnès place it in your chamber."

Even though her brother seemed a bit upset about her absence during the search, he did look pleased with the idea. She scolded herself for drinking and thinking too much.

On her way to the parlour, Anna passed her a sobering -up potion. The potion worked it's magic by the time she was ready to enter the parlour.

Their parlour though had ornate chandelier and other beautiful paintings; it was much smaller than the Brissac Mansion. She still loves this more, because the paintings and chandelier were carefully hand-picked by her parents.

Stepping inside she saw the pale beauty sitting in their parlour, enjoying her coffee.

"How wonderful of you to be able to join me today Mademoiselle Weasley," she stated, making the veela beauty look up at her with an astute smile.


End file.
